


Weave Your Magic

by lilyvandersteen



Series: Weave Your Magic Verse [1]
Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-10
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2018-02-20 15:02:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 161
Words: 277,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2433077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilyvandersteen/pseuds/lilyvandersteen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is an AU in which Blaine and Kurt never met in high school. Blaine is an elementary school teacher and the author of several picture books. Kurt is a former child actor and now a men's wear designer, who writes thrillers under a pseudonym. They meet at a book fair.</p><p>This story now has cover art made by the very talented @datshitrandom! Thank you, sweetie ♥</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Dream Come True

**Author's Note:**

> I've been mulling this idea over in my head for a long time. I can just see it in my mind's eye, and it won't leave me alone :) Please tell me whether or not it's worth continuing.
> 
> Whenever you see a link in the story, it will lead you to a picture or to more information about a certain subject (e.g. a recipe).

**Weave Your Magic by lilyvandersteen**

Chapter 1: A Dream Come True

“ _This wandering storyteller is standing on an empty crate, which makes him tower above the spectators, and he’s telling a story … oh, how he’s telling it! His gestures wide, his voice loud, his face earnest and his eyes rolling. Around him stand a few men, many women and children and even two priests, and they listen with bated breath._ ” (Thea Beckman, _Geef me de ruimte!_ , my own translation, as I am not sure the book exists in an English version)

K&B

It felt weird being here right now, Blaine thought.

He’d always come here, every year, and several times, too. He’d come alone, to stock up on the newest comic books and get one of them signed by the author, hopefully with a quick sketch of the main character next to the autograph. He’d come with his class, to stock up on picture books and story books for the school library and to let the children soak up the atmosphere and fall in love with the written word just as surely and irrevocably as he had. And he’d occasionally come with a friend.

Yet he’d never witnessed the book fair being set up. He shouldn’t have come this early, he knew, but he’d been so excited he couldn’t possibly stay away a moment longer. Because this year, for the first time ever, he’d be here as an author.

K&B

[Even before he could read, he’d always been drawn towards books.](http://lilyvandersteen.tumblr.com/post/108332054549/weave-your-magic-a-klaine-love-story-this-is-an) He loved the pictures, and when his mother or Coop would read to him, he floated away to the world they described effortlessly, dreaming about it afterwards, and recreating the stories with his Playmobil or Lego figures.

He was a shy child, quite withdrawn, and preferred to spend recess looking on and daydreaming rather than participating in the games the others played. Though he was teased about it with increasing frequency as he grew older, he always remained a starry-eyed dreamer. Yet when he was roused from his abstraction, he proved good at ball games and he could hold up in a fight, thanks to his older brother Cooper, who saw to his “proper training”, as Coop called it.

When he was eight, a boy called Wes asked him to join his soccer team because they lacked a member to be able to play matches. He struck up a friendship with his teammates Wes, Jeff, Nick and Thad, and through them, he discovered another passion of his: music.

One day, they were at Thad’s during the summer, splashing around in a big inflatable swimming pool in the garden, when they heard music floating out of the house.

“There we go again”, sighed Thad. “I swear, every time my big brother has a girl over, he starts playing that guitar of his to serenade her as if he were some kind of rock star. And don’t get me wrong, he has an okay singing voice, but the only song he’s ever mastered is House of the Rising Sun, so it’s the same song over and over again. I’m so fed up with it!”

“The guitar sounds nice, though”, said Blaine. “I’d like one, too.”

So the very next Christmas, he asked Santa for a guitar, and got it, too. Once he started taking music lessons, his mother told him she’d gladly share the family’s baby grand with him, on condition he played for her once in a while.

In his teenage years, he started writing songs as well, both the music and the lyrics flowing out of him effortlessly whenever he felt something he couldn’t express in any other way.

And then he started babysitting so as to add to his pocket money, and found another passion of his flaring up again: stories. Only this time, he was the storyteller. He found out quickly that when the children he looked after were bored, naughty or fretful, all it took was the four magic words “Once upon a time …” to captivate and enthral them.

At first, he would tell them his favourite fairy tales and adventure stories, but after a while he started making it up as he went, adding voices, shadow pictures and acting it out.

He loved being around children, and seemed to intuitively know just how to keep them happy and active, so it came as a surprise to no-one that Blaine wanted to become an elementary school teacher.

After his studies, he took to the job as a duck to water. To his class of eight-year-olds, he was a superhero, a wizard, a father figure and a superstar all rolled into one, and they looked up to him no end. Mr A made going to school quite an adventure. Every week, they would come up with a theme and everything they learned that week centred on it. So one week, they could learn about the sea - what animals and plants live in it, what makes the water salty (and did you know that salt simply dissolves into water? Let’s try that out, shall we?), why do the waves move back and forth, etc. etc. Then, the next week could be all about supermarkets - marketing, packaging, selling and buying, calculating prices.

There was one constant factor, though. Friday afternoon was story time, and Blaine’s young charges absolutely loved story time! So naturally, when the subject of a parents’ day came up in class, they begged Mr A to schedule it on a Friday - “cause I want my daddy to hear you tell stories so he can learn how to do that at bedtime, Mr A!”

The parents’ day came and was a huge success. The parents were impressed by Blaine’s singing and guitar playing and of course by his storytelling.

One father in particular, Mr Thurnstone, went up to him and said: “I work for a publishing company specialising in children’s books. If you ever consider writing down those wonderful stories of yours, please get back to me, we would love to publish them. This is exactly what we are looking for!” He handed Blaine his business card. When Blaine accepted it, a little stunned, the man gave him a pat on the back and repeated: “Think about it, will you?”

K&B

That was two years ago, and things had progressed so fast since then. Once he’d wrapped his head around the fact that someone liked his stories enough to want to publish them, it had taken him a few months to write out one of his favourite stories and illustrate it with watercolour sketches. He contacted Mr Thurnstone, who set up a meeting with his superiors. They were impressed with Blaine’s writing and illustrations, and assured him they would love to work with him and publish his books.

In two years, he’d written four books, and each new one sold better than the last. Small wonder then that the publishing company asked him to tour around to promote his latest publication and sign autographs.

Today was extra special for Blaine, because this book fair was in his home town: Westerville, Ohio.


	2. A Striking Stranger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your support so far! I'm so glad you seem to like the concept for my story, and my version of Blaine. I hope this new chapter will live up to your expectations. Thoughts, ideas and constructive criticism are more than welcome!

“ _Nice big smile, Harry. Together, you and I are worth the front page.”_ (J.K. Rowling, _Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets_ )

The book fair was scheduled to start at 10 AM. Blaine knew that his colleague Tina planned to come with her first graders just after noon. She would bring him lunch, and expected him to entertain her charges for at least half the afternoon. He was looking forward to that, but figured the morning would be slow, so he rolled up his sleeves and helped set up the fair, holding cut-outs so that they could be fixed to the floor, taping posters to the walls, carrying books and furniture and generally making himself helpful.

By the time 10 AM rolled around, the place looked fantastic and more than ready for an invasion of eager readers, so he excused himself to go freshen up in the bathroom. Luckily, he’d thought to throw an extra T-shirt into his backpack in case of emergencies. Working with children meant it was always best to have a change of clothes at the ready. He’d needed it on more than one occasion. Getting your clothes dirty was an occupational hazard as an elementary school teacher. He had a T-shirt that looked like abstract art now (the children were painting rather too enthusiastically), a henley with spaghetti stains he’d had to throw away (Robby turned out to have a stomach bug and lost his lunch on Blaine), and when it was his turn to supervise the playground, he would join in the fun and games with abandon and more often than not end up caked in mud (on rainy days) or dirt (on sunny days).

When he came back to his appointed spot, he could see - and hear - that the book fair’s headliner had arrived, at the stand right next to his. Sebastian Smythe, a former child actor who’d grown up on the set of a popular TV series, had decided to cash in on his celebrity status before it faded and did everything under the sun to make it last. Case in point: a much hyped series of children’s books, slightly reminiscent of "The Hardy Boys".

Blaine had read the books, and though they were solidly written and occasionally funny, they weren’t memorable. He wouldn’t stand in line for hours to get an autograph or one of the first copies of the next instalment. It seemed as if his opinion was a minority one, though. The queue that had formed in front of Mr. Smythe’s stand was steadily growing longer. And the parents seemed just as excited as the children, if not more so.

[Well, to be fair, he had to admit that Mr. Smythe was very good-looking](http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/90210/images/1/15/Grant-Gustin.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130416183539). Tall, lean, piercing green eyes, his clothes, posture and attitude a tribute to James Dean and a smirk telling the fans that he knew exactly what havoc he was wreaking every time he spoke to or winked at one of them. No wonder they all seemed hyper and slightly breathless.

Wait … All of them? No … There was one glaring exception. Halfway the queue stood a girl that he guessed was about the age of his third-graders. [She was pretty. Big chocolate eyes, long braided nut-brown hair, dimples in her cheeks and graceful even when standing still.](http://www.oocities.org/epnebelle/leahs2.jpg) She was loud. He could hear her every word as clearly as if she were standing right next to him. And that was with her whispering. It seemed like she could barely contain herself from jumping up and down, shouting her glee to the sky, hugging everyone in sight and twirling until she fell over dizzy.

Her father, though, didn’t seem happy to be there. Not in the least. He looked tense and exasperated, as if he’d rather be anywhere else in the world than there, shuffling closer and closer to Mr. Superstar Smythe. He was typing a mile a minute on his phone, hardly ever looking up and answering the girl’s questions in monosyllables and grunts. A businessman disgruntled that he missed out on an important meeting? Whoever he was, even with a surly expression on his face, he captured Blaine’s attention.

Could you call a man beautiful? The mere word “good-looking” didn’t seem to do him justice. He was dressed to kill, all long lean lines, his hair swept up effortlessly. His skin was so pale he could have played in a Twilight movie without needing any make-up, though the form of his face, his ears and his easy grace were more elf-like than vampire-like. Blaine amused himself picturing the stunning stranger with long, flowing hair, pointy ears and a bow and quiver over his shoulders. He’d make a great Eldarion.

And just like that, his fingers twitched to get this vision of his onto paper. He grabbed his sketch pad and a pencil and happily sketched away. An elf was followed by a prince, then a 1950s movie star. He looked up ever so often, but nobody seemed interested in Blaine’s autograph as long as there was a celebrity in the room. Mr. Beautiful was now leading the queue with his daughter, waiting for Mr. Smythe to finish talking to the fans preceding him. The girl was full-out bouncing.

Then it was their turn.

“Name, please”, drawled Mr. Smythe.

“Sarah”, said both father and daughter at the same time. Sarah giggled.

Mr. Smythe looked up, a spark in his eye.

“Well, well … If it isn’t my fake kid brother. Long time no see, bro! This your little girl, then?”

The man looked at Mr. Smythe, clearly livid. His mouth was a thin line, his eyes were narrowed in a glare that nearly knocked Blaine off his chair with its intensity. Yet it also seemed familiar, somehow. Where had he seen that before?

“Unlike you, Sebastian, some people have moved on from “A Tree Called Life”. So please don’t ever refer to me as your brother again, fake or otherwise. The name’s Kurt, and thankfully, I am NOT related to you. And for your information, this is not my daughter. Sarah’s my niece.”

Mr. Smythe grinned, seemingly not at all fazed by Kurt’s animosity.

“Ooooh, touchy … Still haven’t forgiven me for messing up your sweet sixteen party, have you? Lighten up, Hummel! Nobody remembers your youthful indiscretions anymore, so stop beating yourself up about it!”

Kurt huffed indignantly.

“Could you just sign that stupid book of yours, so that we can be on our way?”

Mr. Smythe grimaced playfully.

“Oh dear, my baby bro still needs to work on his manners. You’ve forgotten the magic word, sweetcheeks!”

Kurt looked as though he wanted to lash out again, but he reined himself in and said in clipped tones: “Please.”

“Kurt by name and curt by nature!” quipped Mr. Smythe, but when another impressive glare was levelled in his direction, he lazily grabbed a copy of his latest book, wrote something, signed with a flourish and handed it to Sarah. “There you go, sweetheart, enjoy!”

“Thank you!” said the pair in unison again, and once more, Sarah giggled.

Blaine smiled. She seemed over the moon with happiness.

“Blainey Days? Blaine? Earth to Blaine!”

Tina had arrived.


	3. Memory Lane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is in Kurt's point of view, and explains his animosity towards Sebastian.

_“Then she turned and walked away - moving, this lightest of dancers, like an old, old woman - and vanished into the dark.”_ (Eva Ibbotson, _A Company of Swans_ )

Kurt gripped Sarah’s hand tightly, took one look at the long line of eager fans and groaned. Even on the best of days, he wasn’t a morning person. He never fully woke up before noon and after several big mugs of coffee. That was why he was so glad he was self-employed. You needed a certain self-discipline and routine of course, even if you were your own boss, but nobody forced you to get up at the crack of dawn.

Usually, his Fridays were relaxed and leisurely. Oh, he would definitely work, no doubt about that! He’d check his website for online orders, he’d shop for any material he was short on, he’d sew or sketch or write for a few hours, he’d pack up some orders, print out invoices and shipping labels, but he never pushed himself on Fridays.

It had always been a special day to him. Friday family dinners were a Hummel tradition that went way back. And now, with the addition of his stepmother Carole, his stepbrother Finn, Finn’s wife Rachel and their children, Sarah and Toby, the family dinners were a boisterous and messy affair. You knew beforehand that your ear-drums would be challenged, that your sentences would get interrupted, that at any point, someone could pick something off your plate or add their unwanted vegetables to it, that juice and sauce would be spilled on the table and that the conversation would skip from one topic to another so fast and so effortlessly that an outsider would get hopelessly lost in it and would question your sanity.

But he’d never felt more at home and at peace as during those crazy dinners. They recharged his batteries even after a really bad week. Because there, at the Hummel-Hudson dinner table, he could just be himself. No judgments. No demands. Kurt’s family offered exactly what he needed: unconditional acceptance and love.

And he was looking forward to tonight’s dinner, only he had to get through the day first. When Rachel called him at five AM this morning, his thoughts had been so murderous that he’d simply have to incorporate the ways in which he contemplated killing her into the next thriller he wrote.

Rachel explained that she’d planned on taking Sarah to the Westerville book fair because Sebastian Smythe was signing his latest book there, from 10 AM until 1 PM, and Sarah was a huge fan. Only, Toby had woken at 2 AM, sweaty and feverish, clinging to his mama and refusing to let go, even for a minute. So would Kurt please come to her rescue and take Sarah to Westerville?

Once Kurt’s sleep-fogged brain caught up with Rachel’s chatter, he asked why Finn couldn’t just take her, already knowing the answer. Finn was a police officer and worked shifts. And today, Finn’s shift wouldn’t be over until noon, by which time it would be too late to head to Westerville for the signing.

Rachel pushed all his buttons, guilt-tripping him for crushing Sarah’s hopes, promising him a caramel pecan cheese-cake at tonight’s dinner and any favour, ANYTHING he’d want in the future, no questions asked.

So he gave in, collected Sarah at six AM sharp and drove to Westerville. Two hours later, they stood in line, waiting for the doors to open. It was chilly, and more than once he caught himself thinking longingly of his warm, soft bed. His niece seemed perfectly content, though, alternatively skipping, singing cheerfully, racing to the end of the street and back and peering in through the windows, her hands cupping over her eyes, to see if she could spot her idol.

Why oh why did his niece have to be enamoured with Sebastian, of all people? Yes, he was certainly good-looking and talented, but he was also smarmy, cocky, rude and obsessed with sex. And Kurt had perfectly good reasons to despise him.

[When Kurt’s mother died, his father, Burt, had been devastated.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l9il68jeGX1qatxcio1_500.jpg) So much so that his work, his health and his son suffered neglect as a result. Burt’s sister, Mary, stepped in and offered to take Kurt until Burt was back on his feet again.

Mary lived in Los Angeles with her husband, Robert. They were both celebrity agents. As they had never been able to have children, they grew to love Kurt as their own son, and when they saw how talented he was, they couldn’t resist putting their feelers out to give him his chance to shine.

When an eight-year-old Kurt was cast for the tv series “A Tree Called Life”, Sebastian Smythe had been a main cast member for two seasons already, and was told to take Kurt under his wing and show him the ropes. [Kurt had taken one look at the cute older boy, had instantly developed a crush on him and started following him around like a puppy.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Grant_Gustin,_science_kid.png/220px-Grant_Gustin,_science_kid.png) On good days, Seb let him tag along and good-naturedly teased him. On bad days, he’d skin Kurt alive with his razor-sharp wit and remind him that he was four years older and didn’t want to put up with babies all day long.

Kurt worked alongside Sebastian for eight years. Seb played his elder brother in the series. An obnoxious brother, getting him into trouble more often than not, and always blaming him when they were found out.

When Kurt hit puberty, his obsession with Seb all but consumed him. But the older boy flitted from one fling to another, hardly sparing a glance for Kurt, and mercilessly laughing at him when he noticed him blushing, fumbling or stuttering whenever he was near.

Things came to a head at Kurt’s sweet sixteen party. Kurt’s aunt and uncle were away that weekend, so against his better judgment, he let his co-stars talk him into throwing a big party. The next day, he woke up with his head pounding, his body sore all over and his short-term memory a complete blank. It all came back to him with alarming clarity, though, when Kurt saw the trashed remains of the once beautiful garden, the swimming pool full of junk and people sleeping in various states of undress all over the living room floor.

Only one person was glaringly absent: Sebastian. Seb had certainly been at the party. He’d turned up late, and brought lots of alcohol. He’d gotten Kurt drunk, and from then on, things were a bit of a blur.

Kurt remembered Seb kissing him, though, kissing him hungrily and groping his ass. Then, at some point, they’d all stripped and skinny-dipped in the pool. Kurt’s cheeks burned at the memory. What was it about alcohol that completely turned your personality around and made you brazen and shameless? He had latched onto Seb in the swimming pool, his hands and lips exploring, grinding into him. No wonder Seb had taken that as an invitation to relieve him of his virginity right then and there.

And then, all of a sudden, there were flashes of all-too-bright light. Paparazzi! In his uncle’s garden! And there was mess everywhere and everyone was in their birthday suit and Kurt was still reeling from having experienced his first orgasm just moments before. He’d squealed and reached for a towel to cover himself, only to have Seb take it first, wrap it around his own hips, slap Kurt hard on his butt and run away laughing.

Kurt had covered himself with his hands, run to his clothes and then into the house with the others, as fast as he could, his ass stinging where Seb had slapped it, his cheeks flaming, and his heart breaking. For a moment there, he’d thought, he’d really thought that he and Seb had a connection, that maybe now that the older boy had noticed him, they could be together. But clearly, he’d only been an easy lay, immediately forgotten and discarded after the sex. Why had he been so stupid? He would never ever drink again.

His aunt and uncle had come home as soon as they saw the paparazzi pictures, and their disappointment in Kurt cut him to the quick. He’d begged them to let him return to Lima, to his dad, and that was the last that LA ever saw of him. He never wanted to be in the limelight again. Ever.

“A Tree Called Life” had written him out by making him die in a car crash, like his mother. How very fitting.

And now, ten years later, Sebastian had turned up again in his life. As his niece’s favourite author, no less. Which begged the question: why on earth did Seb ever start writing children’s books? Kurt understood that he liked to dabble in everything. Since “A Tree Called Life” had ended, Sebastian had tried his hand at modelling, representing brands, playing cameos and supporting roles in all sorts of tv series and films, hosting quizzes and game shows, even recording a pop album, followed by a worldwide concert tour. But writing was another matter entirely. Word had it that Sebastian wrote the books all by himself, no ghost writer involved. Kurt had read them, and they were actually decent. Not outstanding, but well-written. His niece had read and liked far worse. But why did it have to be Sebastian? All he could hope for was that Seb wouldn’t look up or wouldn’t recognise him if he did.


	4. Long Time No See

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is again from Kurt's point of view, and it's again mostly back story. I promise the first Klaine interaction is coming soon now, though, in Chapter Six, probably.

" _Of course, I mean. If at thirteen you can write ten good lines, at twenty you'll write ten times ten--if the gods are kind. Stop messing over months, though--and don't imagine you're a genius either, if you have written ten decent lines. I think there's something trying to speak through you--but you'll have to make yourself a fit instrument for it. You've got to work hard and sacrifice--by gad, girl, you've chosen a jealous goddess. And she never lets her votaries go--even when she shuts her ears for ever to their plea_." (Lucy Maud Montgomery, _Emily of New Moon_ )

 

At precisely ten AM, the doors opened, and everyone trudged in, thankful to get out of the cold. Sebastian hadn’t arrived yet. His stand was the biggest, of course, a huge splash of colour, towering mounds of books, a big sign stating he’d be there from 10 AM until 1 PM and a much comfier chair than the ones the other authors were getting.

Kurt and Sarah were about halfway in the queue, so it would take a while until it was their turn. Now that his fingers didn’t risk turning blue and numb with cold, he decided to make note of the great murder ideas he had dreamt up that morning when Rachel woke him. He didn’t have his laptop with him, but his phone would have to do. He would just roughly sketch them out and maybe add a general backdrop for the story. The rest of the blanks could be filled in later.

He’d always worked like that, from the very beginning. He had a diary, but instead of filling it with the minutiae of his everyday life, he’d always written down stories in it. Simple stories at first, fairly reminiscent of the bedtime stories he’d been told the day before, and if they ever depicted something he’d gone through that day, he’d give it his very own twist. He’d make it comical instead of sad, heroic instead of cowardly, larger than life instead of humdrum.

His writing was his outlet for any and all emotions he felt. If he was happy for some reason, he’d write a sweet fairy tale. If he was sad, he’d fill line after line with a screwball comedy, full of jokes and situation humour. On days when he felt frustrated and powerless, an adventure story would come out of his pen, his hero solving the problems thrown his way with practised ease, dodging death and danger at every turn and always coming out of the fray victorious. And when he was furious beyond belief and felt like tearing someone apart limb from limb, he’d write murders. He delighted in devising cruel mental and physical torture methods as well as inventive ways of killing people without it looking like murder. Time after time, his murderer was a person that came across as totally normal at first sight, and then Kurt would slowly peel back the layers of self-control and the thin veneer of decency to reveal the sick, twisted, inhuman nature lurking underneath.

Writing was such a safe and rewarding way of exorcising his demons. Since he’d been in the public eye from a very young age, he knew he always had to be on his best behaviour at any time and any place. His creative outlet ensured that he never felt the need to act out. Up until the sweet sixteen fiasco, he’d been a perfect son, a perfect cast member, a joy to live and to work with. Always on time, always polite, a friendly word and a thank you for everyone. Thoughtful, attentive and kind, but also fiercely determined, driven and focused. The producers of A Tree Called Life were loath to see Kurt go, assuring him they did not care about the bad press after the party incident. Kurt was adamant, though, and could not be persuaded to stay.

Ever since he’d come back to Lima, he’d been so miserable that his mask of polite friendliness had turned into an armour of icy indifference. Yes, he was bullied. Yes, he was threatened. Yes, he felt desperately alone and unhappy most of the time. But it took much to shake his façade. He didn’t crumble. He didn’t give in. [He held his chin up high and looked right through his tormentors.](http://lilyvandersteen.tumblr.com/post/108335011029/weave-your-magic-chapter-4-long-time-no-see) _Do your worst, you can’t get to me!_

He’d always liked acting and singing, but one day at William McKinley High showed him that no-one there would appreciate his talents. The only talent he’d be honing in the two years he had to spend there was the capacity to melt into a crowd unnoticed, to become invisible. So he packed away his fabulous designer clothes lovingly and regretfully, purchased five bland school outfits in dark colours that would absorb slushy dye without it leaving a trace and trained himself to speak only in his lower register, to move unobtrusively, never to make eye contact, to duck his head and sidle away from any conflict. Even so, his face seemed to tell what he so carefully tried to hide, and he was pushed against lockers, thrown into dumpsters, slushied and insulted on a daily basis.

Small wonder then that his collection of murder stories grew and flourished. He let his Aunt Mary read some of them when she came over for Christmas, and she encouraged him to write a longer story, with enough words to fill a whole book, and promised to look up the contact info of some top-notch literary agents for him. Kurt finished his first thriller at the age of seventeen. He contacted a few agents, and within two months he had a publishing contract. The only stipulation he had made, was that the books could in no way be connected to him. He wanted to be published under a nom de plume instead of his own name, he didn’t want an author picture on the back flap and he didn’t want any book signings, interviews or any other type of publicity that would bring him into the limelight. In return, he agreed to write two thrillers a year, for the next five years.

His novels proved very successful. To Kurt’s surprise, the enigma of the writer wishing to stay hidden only fuelled the interest people showed in him and his novels. On the forums discussing his books, speculation was rife as to who it might be - a celebrity, a high-ranked official, an actual murderer, an FBI agent, you name it.

The publishing company was quick to renew his contract after the five years were up, increasing his royalty percentage and offering only one suggestion: a series of murder mystery books starring the same detective. They’d been approached for the film rights to several of Kurt’s novels. And they thought that, if he took up their suggestion, it might lead to a TV series.

Kurt agreed to film adaptations of his books, on condition that he would be involved in the creative process and the casting and would have the final say on these matters. When, for one of the films, he couldn’t find the right actor to do justice to his complex protagonist, he decided to step in and play the character himself. In the interest of staying under the radar, he made his film persona look as drastically different from himself as he possibly could. It took the make-up artists hours every day to recreate that look, but it was worth it. He even went to the film premiere in full costume and make-up, and though he felt like a child in a Halloween costume, he had a lot of fun. He used an alias for his acting stint as well, and although he loved every minute of it, he decided not to cast himself again. He had to be careful. He valued his quiet life. It wouldn’t do to be recognised.

“Uncle Kurt?”

Kurt looked up. Sarah had been chattering pretty much non-stop. Luckily, all he had to do was hum occasionally or answer yes or no, and she was content. Now she sounded urgent, though.

“We’re up next, Uncle Kurt! Aren’t you excited?”

Kurt hummed non-committally and stowed his phone away.

They stepped up to the stand, and Sebastian asked for Sarah’s name. Without thinking, Kurt answered his question, and immediately, Seb’s eyes snapped up, an evil glint in them, and greeted Kurt as his ‘fake kid brother’. So much for trying not to get recognised.

Why oh why hadn’t he just let Sarah say her name herself? Why hadn’t he kept mum and unobtrusive? And he’d spoken in his normal, high tone of voice. He might have known Seb would recognise it immediately. Ugh! Stupid, stupid move! He was furious at himself. And now of course, he had no choice but to actually have a conversation with Mr Odious Smirk. Well, he’d keep it as short as he could, and whisk Sarah away as soon as she had her autograph.

Kurt snapped at Sebastian, but his former crush only grinned, unfazed, and told him to lighten up, and forget about what happened when he turned sixteen.

 _O-kay, simmer down, Hummel, simmer down. Poker face on, please_.

But really, how could Seb be so cavalier about it? They hadn’t seen each other in ten years, and all Kurt got was a few flippant remarks? Not even an apology? Brushing off what happened at the party as though it didn’t matter? As though HE didn’t matter?

Kurt clenched his teeth, and reminded Seb to sign his book for Sarah, so that they could leave.

Seb grimaced in pretend shock and reprimanded Kurt for being impolite and forgetting to say ‘please’.

 _Aaaargh! How is it possible I've ever been in love with someone SO annoying?_ _Okay, Hummel, make sure you get that autograph for Sarah, you can rant as much as you like afterwards_.

“Please.”

“Kurt by name and curt by nature!” quipped Seb.

Kurt quelled him with a look, and finally, Seb grabbed a copy of his latest book, wrote something, signed it and handed it to Sarah with a smile, telling her to enjoy reading the book.

“Thank you!” said Kurt and Sarah.

Kurt grabbed Sarah’s hand again and turned on his heel without sparing Seb one more glance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think, it's lovely to hear from you!


	5. Play A Song For Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and the next is from Blaine's point of view again. No Kurt in this chapter, but lots of him in Chapter Six, I promise!

“ _Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand, and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest. 'Ah, music,' he said, wiping his eyes. 'A magic beyond all we do here!'_ ” (J.K. Rowling, _Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone_ )

Tina hugged Blaine and squealed in excitement. “Your very own stand! With nice posters and bookmarks and everything. This is so cool! Can we have one of these posters for our classroom? Pretty please?”

Blaine chuckled. “You’ll have to wait for the book fair to be over, but then, yes, I’ll sneak you a poster. You can have some of the bookmarks right now, if you like. It’s not like anyone’s shown any interest in them so far, not with Mr. Big Shot right next to me.”

Tina squeezed his hand affectionately. “Only you could say that without the slightest trace of bitterness, Blainey Days … Has every book signing been like that so far? Nobody coming up to you to ask for your autograph?”

Blaine shook his head. “No, not at all, in other venues people came up to me all right. And I dare say that when Mr. Smythe leaves, I’ll get my chance at signing books. He’s just a much hotter commodity than I am. He doesn’t do many book signings in these parts. He sticks to the big cities, mostly. I heard he only came here because he was visiting his parents. Two birds with one stone and all that.”

Tina gasped. “You’ve talked with him?”

Blaine threw his head back and laughed. “Not likely, Tina! He hasn’t paid any attention to anyone but himself. What did you expect? Yes, we’re both here to sign our books today, but that’s about the only thing we will ever have in common. We’re worlds apart. He’s a real celebrity, the genuine article, and I’m just an up-and-coming writer. Which, for the record, is totally fine with me! I’d hate to be famous, ugh!”

Tina cocked her head to the side. “Then who told you?”

Blaine shrugged. “I helped set up the fair, and one of the employees chatted with me while I helped. I learned other interesting stuff, too. You know that thriller writer whose books I’m obsessed with? Mark Easterbrook?”

Tina nodded. “When you’re reading one of his books, it’s like you’re in a world of your own. And you’re so cranky whenever someone dares to interrupt your reading. Well, cranky is too mild a word for it, actually. I remember I grabbed your shoulder the other day, just to tell you our lunch break was over, and you almost dislocated my arm. It was scary!”

Blaine ducked his head. “Sorry, Tay-Tay. Anyway, you know I have every Mark Easterbrook novel there is, right? And I’ve often complained that there are no autographed copies of his books to be found anywhere, right? I’ve scoured eBay and the like, I’ve e-mailed the publishing company, but I’ve had no luck so far. Well, guess what? The man I helped this morning said that not only Sebastian Smythe was from these parts, but Mark Easterbrook, too. He knows him, actually went to high school with him, can you believe it? So he’s not in his forties, as I imagined. He’s about my age. And the reason he never does interviews, never has his photograph printed on any of his books and never does book signings is because he’s scared. Not much of a people person, it seems. Got bullied in high school and never really got over it.”

He sighed dreamily.

“Can you imagine? Mark Easterbrook lives here somewhere. I may have walked past him on the street. I may have sat on the same bench in the park he sat on before. I may have bought a bow tie in the same shop he frequents. Isn’t it lovely? I wish he’d send some autographed copies of his books to the book fair here. I would KILL to have one. Well, not literally, but I’d definitely go to great lengths for it.”

Tina shook her head. “Really, Blaine, listen to yourself, you sound like you have a crush on that Easterbrook guy, and you don’t know him from Adam, you just read his books.”

“But the way he writes tells me so much about his personality and his interests that it feels like I know him”, Blaine countered.

Tina shrugged. “Whatever. Anyway, we had better rein in my class before they destroy the whole book fair.”

She raised her voice. “Children, come here and sit down in a half circle. Mr. A is going to sing and tell stories!

“YYYYAAAAYYYY!!”

The children scrambled to find a good spot and sat down.

[Blaine quickly wolfed down the sandwiches Tina had brought him, drank some water, then grabbed his guitar and tuned it. Showtime!](http://lilyvandersteen.tumblr.com/post/108339287609/weave-your-magic-chapter-5-play-a-song-for-me)

Blaine knew Tina’s first graders, of course, and they knew him. Hawthorne Elementary School was really small, which had the advantage that every teacher knew every child by name, and that they could all fit into the big Round Room for announcements, events and the weekly music lessons.

That last part was rather unusual, of course. A whole school having singing lessons together? Yes, well, that would be Nora’s doing …

Mrs. Nora Clegg was Hawthorne’s eldest teacher. She was nearing retirement age and she was brilliant at maths and sciences, always showing her pupils how to apply it to everyday use and making them discover the thrill of a solved problem or a successful experiment. Her sense of humour helped, too, her funny quips staying with her pupils long after everything she’d taught them had faded.

However, she wasn’t musical in the least. She was practically tone-deaf and had a screechy singing voice she didn’t wish to inflict on anyone. So when she started at Hawthorne, she cajoled her colleagues into taking turns teaching her class music education lessons, with the principal’s consent. In return, she’d teach their class anything from maths, biology, chemistry, physics over knitting and needlework to road safety lessons.

Then, one day, the school had planned to go on an outing, but it was raining so heavily that it was decided to pile all the children into the Round Room and think up some fun activities. In the morning, the teachers divided their charges into teams and staged a treasure hunt with clues throughout the school. The older children helped the younger ones, and they all loved it. After that, Nora taught the children how to make a bubble bath mixture. It took a lot of trial and error, but that was half the fun. That afternoon, they all sat together and sang, all the teachers and even the principal and her secretary included. And everyone liked it so much that they instated a weekly gathering in the Round Room, every Monday afternoon unless there was another activity that day, to learn new songs, try new instruments, prepare a concert or a musical for the parents to see.

Nora was overjoyed that she no longer had to worry about music lessons, and was determined to keep it that way, so she held on to the tradition when the principal and several other teachers retired.

When Blaine arrived at Hawthorne, along with his friend Jeff, who became the PE teacher, they were very enthusiastic about the music gathering. Jeff promised to teach the children some dance steps, and Blaine made a list of every instrument he wanted to discover along with them. Tina struck up a friendship with both newcomers and completed the trio of music teachers. She often said the school gatherings reminded her of her glee club - often much noise and chaos, but also joy, friendship and lots of raw talent that shined through. The boys always looked rather nonplussed when she made that comparison - their orderly, well-regulated glee club didn’t resemble the school gatherings in the least.

Since they had taken over the music lessons, these always started with the same song, just to get in the right mood. Blaine played it on his guitar, Tina sang, and all the children chimed in for the chorus. Here, at the book fair, they did it exactly the same way:

_Hey! Mister Tambourine Man, play a song for me_

_I’m not sleepy and there is no place I’m going to_

_Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me_

_In the jingle jangle morning I’ll come followin’ you (…)_

They had nearly reached the end of the song when suddenly, twice as many voices called on the Tambourine Man. A laughing Jeff herded Blaine’s own class towards him, singing at the top of their lungs and waving for all they were worth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, your views, comments, ideas and constructive criticism are very welcome!


	6. Discoveries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: this is from Blaine's point of view again. Next chapter will be Kurt :)

_“The kid turned in Jeff’s direction, as if the music were some kind of string winding around the long legs. Jeff kept his eyes down watching at the periphery of his vision the awkward and reluctant approach, as if the long legs were trying to move away from him but moved instead toward him.”_ (Cynthia Voigt, _A Solitary Blue_ )

As soon as the song was over, the third graders all swamped down on Blaine, giggling and shouting and hugging him. “Wasn’t it the best surprise ever, Mr. A?”

Blaine groaned under the onslaught, but managed to say: “Yes, yes, it certainly was! But … How?”

Jeff winked at him. “Never underestimate the persuading skills of twenty determined eight-year-olds! They managed to convince the principal that coming to see you at the book fair would be much more educational than the history lesson she had in store for them, and they roped me into taking them here, because as your friend, I wouldn’t want to miss your book signing, of course.”

They all laughed, then plumped down on the floor.

“Well, Mr A, it is Friday afternoon, you know,” Robby reasoned. “You wouldn’t want to make us miss story time, now, would you?”

Blaine hummed. “True, no, I wouldn’t.”

They sang a few more songs together, and halfway through their rendition of “Let it be”,Blaine looked up to see that their impromptu concert had drawn quite a crowd, including the man he’d been spying on just now - Kurt, he reminded himself - and his niece Sarah, who was singing along with gusto. Kurt looked torn, as if he both wanted to bolt out the door to get away from Mr Smythe as fast and as far as he possibly could, and felt compelled to stay because the music spoke to him.

The decision was made for him when Tina noticed Kurt and pounced on him.

“Kurt! Oh my God, it’s been ages! How’ve you been? What are you doing here?”

She hugged Kurt within an inch of his life, and without waiting for him to answer her questions or considering their audience, she tugged him along towards Blaine.

“This is the man of the hour, my colleague Blaine! If you haven’t read his storybooks yet, you most certainly should, they’re amazing. As is Blaine himself, by the way. And totally gay!”

“Tina!!”

The outraged cry came from both Kurt and Blaine.

“Oh, come on, Blaine, it’s not like that’s a dead secret, is it? Your bow ties are tip-off enough! Anyway, I’m so glad that I have the both of you here together now. I’ve been meaning to introduce you to one another for years.”

Kurt looked decidedly uncomfortable at the turn the conversation had taken. “Tina, please…”

Tina waved away his feeble protests and turned to Blaine again. “Blaine, this is Kurt. He and I were in glee club together, and became friends resisting Rachel’s despotic rule. He’s just as fabulous as he dresses, and I’m sure once you guys will get to know one another better, you’ll find he’s just as crazy about those scary Mark Easterbrook books as you are. Now, shake hands and make friends, go on.”

Blaine obediently offered his hand to shake, smiled at Kurt and managed to mumble a polite “Pleased to meet you” before he lost all coherent thought.

Up close, the eyes were even more striking. They had an interesting colour, too. Like the sea on a clear autumn day just before sunset, the last rays of sunlight dotting the waves with golden sparkles.

It niggled at his mind. Who did those eyes remind him of? He could have sworn he’d seen them before, with that very same expression. And then it came to him.

“Argyle!”

Blaine blurted it out without thinking.

Kurt quirked his eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“I mean …Sorry, that was rude. I just meant … You reminded me of someone. Just now. When you were giving Mr. Smythe the evil eye, forgive me the expression. It was the same vibe I got from Argyle in “Breathless”. Just … _I’m going to annihilate you without even thinking twice about it_. You know what I mean … You have the same eyes, the same intensity, I could swear it was you who played Argyle in that movie. Scared me to death, too. I had nightmares about it for weeks.”

Kurt chuckled.“Then why did you go see the film?”

Blaine felt his blood rush to his cheeks. He WAS a baby in that respect, no doubt about it. Whenever he read a book or saw a movie, it entirely drew him in, so he felt whatever the characters on the page or on screen were going through, and felt it keenly. Wes and Thad refused to go to the cinema with him because he annoyed them no end, laughing too loudly, crying unashamedly, commenting all the way through and hiding behind their shoulder during creepy scenes.

“I went because I loved the book and wanted to see how it translated to the screen. It’s one of my favourite books ever. I’ve literally read it to pieces, I’ll have to buy myself a new copy soon.”

A hand tugged at his sleeve. “Mr A? Weren’t you going to tell us a story?”

Blaine saw the children look up at him expectantly.

“Okay, so …Kurt, it was lovely talking to you, but I believe I promised these ladies and gentlemen a story, and they are getting impatient, so I had better get on with it. Feel free to stay and listen, though.”

Kurt smiled. It made his eyes light up and crinkle, and for a second, Blaine lost his train of thought again. “What do you say, Sarah? Want to hear a story before we go?”

Sarah deliberated earnestly. “Well, if it’s a good story, then, yes. But if it’s a story like my daddy tells them …”

Robby interrupted her. “My daddy’s like that, too. His stories are much too short and don’t make any sense. But Mr A is the best storyteller there is, you’ll see.”

Sarah looked at Robby for a moment, considering. “Alright then. Can I sit by you?”

Sarah and Kurt both sat down. Blaine laid aside his guitar, drank some water, and then started the story:

_“Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess who was kidnapped by a giant. When the messenger told the king the bad news, he said: ‘As if I didn’t have enough trouble already. Literally everything goes against me today. Where is she?’_

_‘On Bristle Mountain, near the sea,’ said the messenger. ‘The giant’s castle is over there. The princess is kept in the tower and is guarded by a dragon.’_

_‘Oh, yes, why not,’ cried the king. ‘A giant AND a dragon. As if one weren’t enough! The poor child. She was very troublesome and disobedient lately, but she doesn’t deserve this! What shall we do? Get me my doctor.’_

_‘Did you hear?’ the king asked the doctor. ‘My daughter’s been abducted by a giant and is being guarded by a dragon! Tell me, what should I do?’_

_‘Well,’ said the doctor, ‘that’s not really my area of expertise. I’m just an ordinary doctor and …’_

_‘Nonsense,’ said the king. ‘You cured her when she had the measles. So now you can come up with something again.’_

_‘Usually,’ said the doctor, ‘usually the king offers a reward to the prince who slays the dragon. That helps tremendously. Princes turn up in droves and there will probably be one who manages it.’_

_‘Alright, that’s what we’ll do then,’ said the king with a sigh of relief. ‘The prince who brings my daughter home unscathed, can have her.’_

_‘Plus half of your kingdom,’ said the doctor._

_‘We’ll see about that,’ said the king. ‘No need to overdo it.’_

_The announcement was made the very same day, and that evening, the first prince who wanted to try had already turned up._

_‘Aren’t you a bit too dressed up for the occasion?’ asked the king. ‘Are you planning on defeating the dragon wearing white gloves?’_

_‘I’ll take them off at the crucial moment,’said the prince, and he blushed handsomely. He looked absolutely dashing. He was wearing a blue velvet cloak, a white vest and trousers with bows, and his hair was permed._

_‘I have my doubts about this one,’ said the king, when the fashion-plate prince rode away. ‘I hope he won’t manage it. He’s too refined for me.’_

_A day later, the prince returned. He was coal black, full of scratches and his clothes were reduced to blue velvet rags. The giant had blown him off Bristle Mountain, he told the king, and he had rolled down helter-skelter through the bristly shrubs._

_‘Too bad, can’t be helped,’ said the king with a smile. ‘Next candidate.’_

_[The next prince wore a suit of armour. That gave him courage, but he came back entirely dented and crushed, for the giant had squeezed him and then thrown him into the ravine.](http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/schm001heks01_01/schm001heks01ill08.gif)When the prince had been freed of his armour, he didn’t dare try again._

_‘Who’s next,’ said the king. ‘What, no more volunteers?’_

_‘No more princes,’ said the doctor. ‘No other prince dares to try. But here’s a poor boy who’d like to try. His name’s George.’_

_‘George is a good name, when there are dragons involved,’ said the king. ‘Come here, George. Do you have a sword?’_

_‘No, sire,’ said the boy._

_‘A lance?’_

_‘No, sire.’_

_‘Then what do you have?’_

_George emptied his pockets and said: ‘A green piece of chalk. I happened to be playing with it just now. That’s all I have.’_

_‘Shall I give you a full suit of armour?’ asked the king._

_‘Nah’, said George. ‘I’ll go like this. I’m not very good with swords and lances.’_

_‘Well, I have my doubts,’ said the king. ‘But it’s your decision, I’m not going to stop you. Bye George.’_

_Off trotted the boy, up Bristle Mountain, all on his lonesome. It wasn’t easy to climb up passing through prickly shrubs, but after a few hours he stood at the top of the hill, panting, and immediately he walked into the naked shins of the giant, who was weeding his garden._

_‘Aha,’ said the giant, and took him between his thumb and forefinger. ‘There’s number three. Come to free the princess, have you, little runt?’_

_‘Not at all,’ said George. ‘I was lost, that’s all, and I know nothing about princesses.’_

_‘Don’t you?’ asked the giant. He sat down and put George on his knee, still holding him tightly. ‘You can see the princess over there, behind the window in the tower. And can you see the dragon?’_

_‘I see him,’ said George. ‘Would you please stop pinching me so hard? It’s rather hard to talk when somebody squishes you to jelly.’_

_‘Hahaha,’ the giant boomed with laughter, and he held George less stiffly. ‘What shall I do with you? I could throw you off the hill, but where’s the fun in that?’_

_‘Where indeed’, said George._

_‘I could add you to tonight’s sauerkraut,’ said the giant. ‘Wait, I have an old bird cage here, I’ll put you in there till then.’ He put George in the cage and gently swayed him to and fro. Then he started laughing again._

_George laughed just as hard, and then said:“Heh heh, nothing like a good laugh. I’m glad they all lied. It isn’t true what they’re all saying.’_

_‘Who?’ asked the giant._

_‘The people down there,’ said George. ‘They’ve been saying you were ill for a long time.’_

_‘Me, ill?’ said the giant. ‘Well, that’s not true, as you can see. I’m as fit as a fiddle.’_

_‘I can see that,’ said George. ‘Those idiots said you were turning nice and green, but I don’t see anything.’_

_‘Green?’ asked the giant. ‘What do you mean, green?’_

_‘Well, the smother sickness, of course,’ said George. ‘A dragon’s breath is so dangerously unhealthy, everybody knows that. It gives you the smother sickness, you see? And then you get green spots. That goes without saying. But I haven’t seen any yet on your body.’ All the while, George kept frowning at the uncovered knee of the giant._

_[The giant followed his gaze. On his knee, he saw lots of green spots.](http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/schm001heks01_01/schm001heks01ill09.gif) He tried to get them off with his sleeve, but they wouldn’t come off. George’s piece of chalk was excellent, and he’d put the spots there firmly, without the giant noticing._

_‘W-w-what is t-t-that?’ stuttered the giant.‘Green spots? So it’s beginning?’_

_‘It’s not that bad yet’, said George consolingly. ‘You could live for another month, for sure. Six months, if the dragon weren’t there, but the poor beast can’t help it that its breath is poisonous. You can hardly kill your own dragon, can you?’_

_‘Can’t I?’ hollered the giant. ‘I’ll show you! Do you really think I’d let myself be poisoned by that monster?’_

_He ran into his castle, came back with a huge spear and stormed towards the dragon._

_George sat in the cage, and from between the bars, he watched the most epic spectacle he’d ever beheld: a fight between the giant and the dragon._

_The dragon snorted and blew out fiery clouds of yellow steam, and flames came from between his formidable jaws. He twisted his green scaly body, clobbered with his sweeping tail and bit every which way with his dragon teeth, while the giant circled around him and tried to hit him._

_‘Hurray! Go on! Go Gators!’ George screamed in his cage. What he said, made no sense, but it was the best he could come up with._

_The giant had retreated a little and now he came charging with his spear. It was terrible to watch. The dragon twisted this way and that, but the spear caught him straight in the heart. And there lay the bloody monstrous beast, with his tongue lolling out. Dead as a doornail._

_‘Well?’ said the giant, panting. ‘Did you see that?’_

_‘Bravo!’ cheered George, and he clapped his hands. ‘You’re such a hero. And now that the dragon is dead, you can easily live for six more months. Easily. Maybe even seven.’_

_‘No more than that?’ complained the giant, and he sat down looking sad, and buried his head in his hands. ‘I want to live for another hundred years.’_

_‘Doesn’t everybody,’ said George. ‘But the smother sickness is deadly, that’s just the way it is. And no man on earth can reach the white dragon weed, not even a giant.’_

_‘What, what do you mean white dragon weed, what are you talking about?’ asked the giant._

_‘It grows over there,’ said George, and he pointed to the seaside, where the cliffs steeply descended into the sea. ‘If you released me, I could find you some.’_

_‘Release you?’ cried the giant, furious. ‘I’m onto you, buddy. You’ll take off and leave me to die after seven months. I have a better idea. I’ll take you with me, in my hand, and you can point me to that white dragon weed.’_

_He took George out of the cage and stepped onto the highest peak of the steep cliffs. ‘If I fall, so do you,’ he grinned._

_‘Go stand there on that cliff,’ said George. The giant did as he was told. ‘Can you see the white flowers between those two stones? That’s it.’_

_The giant bended over and reached for it, but it was just out of reach. ‘You’d better do it with your other arm,’ said George. ‘With the hand I’m in. I’ll reach for you.’ The giant did as he was told._

_‘That’s it,’ yelled George. ‘A bit further, just a bit further, go on.’_

_‘Like this?’ panted the giant, who was now completely bending forward._

_‘Yes!’ shouted George, and he bit down hard on the giant’s thumb._

_‘Ouch!’ yelled the giant. Startled, he dropped the boy, who fell into a shrub just beneath. The giant himself lost his balance and fell off the steep cliffs into the sea, with a huge big splash. The water splashed up a hundred metres and the giant drowned._

_‘And that was that,’ said George, who took his time climbing up the mountain. He only had a few bruises, and he calmly went to the tower to go fetch the princess._

_‘No prince?’ said the princess, surprised. ‘Not even a knight?’_

_‘None of your lip, girl,’ said George, ‘or I’ll leave you here and you can find your own way home.’_

_‘No, no,’ shouted the princess as fast as she could. ‘Please bring me home.’_

_George put her over his shoulder and climbed off the mountain._

_‘Look who’s there!’ yelled the king, overjoyed, when they arrived. ‘My dearest daughter! Now you’ll have to marry him, you knew that, right?’_

_‘Yes,’ said the princess. ‘And I’m willing to.’_

_The next Wednesday, the wedding took place, and there were so many fireworks that people are still talking about it today."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you don't mind me including Blaine's story :) It's from a Dutch fairy tale book called "Heksen en zo", written by Annie M. G. Schmidt. I translated the story into English myself. The illustrations are by Charlotte Dematons.


	7. Another Blast From The Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kurt's point of view again :)

“ _Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight!_

 _For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night._ ” (William Shakespeare, _Romeo and Juliet_ )

Kurt and Sarah stood in line to pay for the autographed book. Kurt meant to leave directly after, but he found himself distracted by music. Someone was playing the guitar, and a group of children was singing. Sarah was curious, too, and together, they gravitated towards the sound.

The children seemed to be about Sarah’s age or a little younger, and they belted out the song as if they were very familiar with it, and as if it was completely normal to just randomly burst into song in the middle of a book fair. Those kids were budding glee clubbers, Kurt thought. They sounded pretty good. Was it a class outing? If so, why weren’t they waiting in line to get Seb’s autograph? And why on earth were they singing?

The man playing the guitar hadn’t come here with them, Kurt knew. He’d been sitting there all morning, a table laden with books in front of him, and behind him a couple of posters showing a whimsical watercolour painting of an oddly-dressed woman fighting off a shark with an umbrella, and block-lettering underneath that his name was Blaine Anderson and that he was signing his books today and tomorrow from 10 AM until 4 PM.

Kurt had felt a bit sorry for Mr Anderson that he had to be on call that long, especially since every visitor clearly only had eyes for Seb and completely ignored the stand next to Seb’s. Mr Anderson hadn’t seemed bored though, the few times Kurt glanced at him. On the contrary, he seemed to be studying the people queuing quite intently at first, and later on he was drawing, with the complete absorption Kurt recognised as the beckoning of a muse’s call. A soft smile played around his lips, and he seemed perfectly content to ignore and be ignored by everyone else present.

And now he was performing songs with a children’s choir as if it was his day job. Was it? The children seemed certainly seemed in synch with him, knowing all the words to the songs perfectly, requesting their favourites and rhythmically swinging to and fro together. The woman and man accompanying the children sang along, too. They had lovely voices. He could have sworn he recognised the woman’s voice, and sure enough, when he came closer, he recognised her at once. Tina Cohen-Chang. Another blast from the past. Another conversation he couldn’t stomach on so little sleep. Could he disappear before she noticed him?

And then the music segued into one of his favourite Beatles songs, and Mr Anderson looked up halfway through and looked straight at him, his lips quirking up into a shy smile, his eyes and voice reminding Kurt of liquid honey, and he just couldn’t turn away if he tried.

Mesmerised, he stood there, watching, listening, floating away to that happy place music never failed to provide for him. He forgot about Sarah, he forgot about Seb and just savoured the moment, until reality caught up with him again in the form of an impetuous hug bestowed on him by Tina, who had discovered him in the audience and wanted to know what on earth he was doing at the book fair.

Kurt hugged her back hesitantly, and was about to answer her question when she took his hand and tugged him along towards Mr Anderson. Caught off guard, he stumbled slightly and had to grab her arm with his other hand to stay upright.

She gestured to Mr Anderson theatrically, beaming with pride, and introduced him as her colleague Blaine, adding that Blaine was ‘totally gay’.

“Tina!!”

The rebuke, sharp and swift, tumbled not only from Blaine’s lips, but also from Kurt’s.

_Really, Tina? The man is here to promote his books, he finally has a crowd interested in him now and you think it’s a good idea to proclaim publicly and at the top of your lungs that he’s gay? In a provincial town in OHIO? I hope Blaine freezes you out sufficiently for that. I know I will. This is SO not done!_

Tina didn’t seem to realise the momentousness of her faux pas. At all. She prattled on happily and obliviously, telling them she’d wanted to introduce them to each other for years.

_Okay, first you casually out the man in public and now you make matters worse by actively trying to hook us up? Are you insane?_

Kurt, nearly trembling with rage, bit back a biting retort and tried to control his temper. It wouldn’t do to explode twice within the span of an hour, and Tina probably didn’t even fathom the effect her impulsive tongue might produce on the audience. A quick look around told Kurt that no-one in the vicinity looked repulsed, so maybe no harm was done. Still, better to nip this in the bud …

“Tina, please …”

Tina ignored him and turned to Blaine again, now introducing Kurt to Blaine. She mentioned Blaine being a Mark Easterbrook fan and surmised that Kurt liked the Easterbrook thrillers just as much.

 _Blaine’s quite a fan of my novels, is he? Interesting_.

Blaine’s books seemed a very different genre, but now Kurt really wanted to check them out. _Later_ , he promised himself.

Blaine held his hand out and quietly said: “Pleased to meet you.” Kurt shook hands mutely, lost in the beautiful smile that graced Blaine’s lips and the eyes searing straight into his soul. However much he resented Tina for throwing them together this way, he couldn’t deny the attraction he felt towards Blaine. Not to mention that it felt really good to have Blaine’s hand in his, however fleetingly.

Blaine seemed to be pondering something, and then a flash of recognition shot through his eyes.

“Argyle!” he blurted out.

“Excuse me?” asked Kurt, perplexed.

And then Blaine’s explanation came tumbling out, and Kurt froze in shock. Blaine had recognised him as the actor who played Argyle in the film adaptation of “Breathless”. Apparently, Kurt’s eyes looked the same and had the same intensity. Blaine then went on to tell Kurt the film had given him nightmares for weeks.

After all that, Blaine abruptly stopped rambling and blushed slightly. If Kurt hadn’t been so shocked, he’d have appreciated the off-the-charts cute factor of bashful Blaine. As it was, he had to struggle to keep his poker face firmly in place. Blaine had recognised him? Just because of his eyes? Up until now, no-one had realised Kurt played a role in that film. Not even Burt, who’d seen “Breathless” twice in the cinema and countless times on DVD, at home, and could quote entire chunks of dialogue as a result.

 _Keep it together, Hummel, don’t let on he found you out_.

Kurt chuckled lightly and focussed on the mention of the nightmares. “Then why did you go see the film?”

Blaine’s blush deepened, and that was really too adorable. He explained that he loved the book so much he simply had to see the film version.

Blaine was interrupted by a child demanding his attention and asking for a story.

Blaine looked at the children, then back at Kurt, and sighed, wrapping up his conversation with Kurt and encouraging him to stay and listen to the story.

Kurt smiled. Storytime and he didn’t have to do the honours himself? Yes, please!

Blaine’s storytelling was brilliant, no doubt about it. His story held all the usual elements of a fairy tale, but switched up cleverly. It was light, funny, pithy and quirky, and held both the adults and the children enthralled. Kurt had no doubt that after that performance, Blaine would have gained quite a few fans, and would have acquired a queue of his very own for his book signing. And if he was honest, he’d include himself in that party.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He seems quite taken with Blaine, doesn't he, in spite of Tina's interference?


	8. Time To Move On

“ _Forgive me, dear, I can’t help seeing that you are very lonely, and sometimes there is a hungry look in your eyes that goes to my heart._ ” (Louisa May Alcott, _Good Wives_ )

Kurt was right. After the story, Blaine got a generous hand of applause, and then people went to his stand to check out his books. Kurt saw him hug Tina and heard him tell the children he’d be back on Monday. So he was a teacher? It suited him, Kurt decided. And maybe next time the New Directions alumni scheduled a reunion, Kurt would actually go and he’d catch up with Tina.

She’d never been one of the gleeks he was closest to, but he liked her and Mike well enough. If he was honest with himself, they were the reason he hadn’t fully given up on love yet. [Mike and Tina had been together since high school, and had managed to avoid the drama, love triangles and break-ups that abounded in the glee club, where almost everyone had crushed on, flirted with, slept with or had a relationship with one another.](http://lilyvandersteen.tumblr.com/post/108340297139/weave-your-magic-chapter-8-time-to-move-on) They were the ship that made it safely through the storm, and he envied them for it.

Before Sebastian, he might have hoped to have that, too, one day. To find that one special person, who would make his life complete, who would both make him feel grounded and make him soar up into the sky. Who would love him for exactly who and what he was.

But he gave that dream up at sixteen. He buried the longing and the heartache behind steel walls, never letting anyone in. He went through life acting cool and composed. Nothing ever seemed to faze the indomitable Kurt Hummel. Nothing seemed to really reach him, neither the bad stuff nor the good. He froze out his bullies and tormentors, but he also kept potential friends at arm’s length. Even Burt never got as close to him again as he was before Elizabeth died. Kurt guarded his heart, and guarded it well.

He played his cards close to his chest. He never told Burt about Sebastian. He never told anyone in Lima he’d been on TV for years. He never told anyone other than Burt and aunt Mary about his writing (Puck had found out one day by accident, but had been sworn to secrecy). He never officially came out to anyone other than his dad.

People knew him as a designer specialising in men’s wear and selling a successful line of fashion accessories exclusively online. He’d never been anyone’s boyfriend and had never yet shown interest in either a man or a woman. But as wary as he was of trusting anyone, and as terrified as he was at the thought of falling in love again, he felt horribly lonely.

Maybe now that he’d seen Sebastian again, that would provide the closure he needed. He wasn’t still hung up on Seb, of course not. He was still angry, that went without saying, but it was about time he stopped letting one incident rule his entire life. Maybe it was time to stop treating the world at large as if it were a big bad wolf about to eat him.

He turned to Sarah, who was studying Blaine’s posters.

“Okay, Sarah, back to Lima we go!”

But Sarah refused to budge.

“I want to tell Mr A that I liked his story, and I want him to sign one of his books for me, too.”

Kurt bestowed one of his patented glares on her.

“I mean, please, uncle Kurt? Pretty please?”

He heard a chuckle next to him and a familiar voice said:

“Your niece is just as fickle in her affections as you are, Hummel. Replaced me with a new idol already, I see.”

 _Why can’t Seb just leave me alone_ , Kurt thought, but he knew better than to rise to the bait.

“She has good taste in men, though,” continued Sebastian. “Maybe I should go and introduce myself to him before I go. It would be the polite thing to do, wouldn’t it?”

This time, Kurt had a harder time keeping his poker face intact. A wave of anger slammed through him, coupled with a fiercely protective instinct. Blaine seemed like a nice guy. Too nice to be gobbled up and then spat out again by Sebastian Smythe.

Seb noticed, of course he did. “Jealous, Hummel? You want him for yourself? So that’s why you’re not interested in hooking up with me once more for old times’ sake?”

Kurt saw red. “As if anything could tempt me to try you again! I loved you! And look where it got me: drunk, used and publicly disgraced! And then you had the nerve to turn your back on me and laugh! Just stay away from me, and stay away from decent people like Blaine.”

He grabbed Sarah’s hand and stalked towards the exit, stemming her protests with a curt “Not now, Sarah.”

It wasn’t until they were nearly back in Lima that he noticed his phone had gone missing. He usually clipped it to his belt, but now the holster was empty. He searched through the glove compartment of the car, but of course, it wasn’t there. He remembered jotting down his murder ideas earlier, so he’d had it at the book fair. Had he put the phone back into the holster then? He hadn’t left it at Seb’s stand, had he? For heaven’s sake, could this day get any worse?


	9. Time To Shine

“ _When she finished there were bursts of honest applause. […] Smiling, blushing, limpid-eyed, Anne tripped back and gave a quaint, funny little selection that captivated her audience still further. The rest of the evening was quite a little triumph for her._ ” (Lucy Maud Montgomery, _Anne of Green Gables_ )

As soon as Blaine ended the fairy tale, the crowd that had gathered clapped long and hard. He’d chanced a few quick glances at Kurt while he was telling the story and was gratified to see him smiling, entranced and intrigued. Well, if that’s what it took to lure Kurt’s interest, he’d go all Pied Piper and keep weaving his word magic for hours and days on end.

Only, he couldn’t, he realised. Everyone had enjoyed his music and his story, and now they were swarming towards his stand, checking out the posters, thumbing through his books, clearly waiting for him to sit down and chat with them and sign books. So, with a last regretful look towards Kurt, he quickly said goodbye to his colleagues and to his class and Tina’s, and went to his stand again.

He loved talking to people about his books, and where he got his inspiration, and what he used to read himself as a child, and what he liked to read now. He was a bit distracted, though, when he heard Sarah proclaim loudly that she wanted one of his books, signed by him. Kurt didn’t seem very inclined to give in to her demands, and then, moments later, he was accosted by Mr Smythe.

It looked like the tall man was flirting with Kurt. Unfortunately, his voice wasn’t as stentorian as Sarah’s, so he couldn’t hear the exact words that were spoken. The facial expressions, however, were crystal clear. Mr Smythe looked smug and puckish, whereas Kurt projected an aura so arctic that it was a wonder it didn’t freeze off the fingers and toes of anyone in the vicinity. Whatever their relationship was or had been, Kurt was over it and was impervious to Mr Smythe’s further advances. _Good_ , purred his subconscious mind. _Mine!_

After an indignant speech, Kurt grabbed Sarah’s hand and they left. Blaine felt a bit deflated, but he supposed it was for the best. Now he could concentrate on chatting with his readers and charming those who hadn’t tried his books yet but felt inclined to.

[The rest of the afternoon, he was kept very busy and wore out several sharpies signing books and drawing droll little figures in them on demand. Lots of children wanted a picture with him, too, and he delighted in devising silly poses to make them giggle](http://lilyvandersteen.tumblr.com/post/108341321189/weave-your-magic-chapter-9-time-to-shine). He had a blast posing with a scrunched nose or an exaggerated look of terror, sticking his tongue out, jumping high into the air, standing on his hands, wielding an imaginary sword and shield, piggybacking a child and even a blushing mother or two.  

To his surprise, many people asked him if he’d sing and tell stories on Saturday, too, because they planned on coming back if that were the case. Gratified, he said he’d certainly consider it if they were interested, making a mental note to bring along his guitar again and to think of a good story.

His favourite moment, though, was towards the end of the afternoon, when a four-year-old escaped her mom, who was waiting to pay for her purchases, and crawled onto his lap. It was half past five PM at that point, and the book fair was closing at six, so the crowd had dwindled to a mere trickle. His appointed book-signing hours were over, but he had nowhere else to be, and he loved the atmosphere of the book fair too much to leave before closing time.

The girl introduced herself as Ashley and asked him what his name was. “Blaine is such a pretty name!” she enthused, and then proceeded to ask him how old he was, if he had brothers and sisters, whether or not they were nice, and any other question her inquisitive mind came up with.

She pointed her finger imperiously at the bookmarks and said she wanted one, and with her new treasure securely in her fist, she asked him to read to her from his books. He glanced at Ashley’s mother, who hadn’t yet discovered her daughter’s absence, and figured he had better entertain Ashley so that she would stay put until her mother found her. So he told her a story, and he drew her some pictures, too, and let her colour them in.

When Ashley’s mother came to collect her, a six-year-old boy and a ten-year-old girl in tow and sporting a relieved but exasperated expression, the girl on his lap was fast asleep. He offered to help carry her to the car, and carefully strapped her into her car seat. Ashley’s mother both apologised and thanked him profusely, and promised to come back the next day.

He went back inside and started tidying up his stand. Suddenly, he stopped and stared. Under the pictures the girl had coloured, there was a smartphone. A sleek, expensive, state-of-the-art phone. And it wasn’t his.

It made sense that it belonged to Ashley’s mother, so he tore back to the parking lot at breakneck speed, but of course, she had already left. He tucked the smartphone into his shirt pocket. She had said she’d come back to the book fair, so he could give the phone to her on Saturday.

He approached Bill, the fair manager, and asked if a smartphone had been reported as missing. It hadn’t, just as he thought.

Bill complimented him on his “show” and said the book fair had attracted more visitors than previous years because of it. Blaine chuckled and answered that he’d been requested to sing and tell stories again tomorrow, that he had no objection to doing so, and if Bill wanted to advertise that fact, he most certainly could.

All in all, it had been an amazing day. Sure, he was exhausted, sweaty from the silly photo shoots, his hair was a curly mess and his stomach growled, demanding to be fed, but he grinned from ear to ear when he stepped into his car to head back to his apartment.

He’d met tons of interesting people, he’d sung with his class and Tina’s, he’d told a story and everyone had liked it and asked for a repeat performance. Sweet success!

He was a bit sad that Kurt hadn’t come over and talked to him after his story, but he supposed that if it was meant to be, they would meet again. And maybe next time Tina started talking about her glee club, he’d pay a bit more attention to what she was saying. And wasn’t she hosting a Halloween party this weekend? True, she lived all the way in Lima, but surely she’d let him crash on her sofa if he wasn’t in any condition to drive back to Westerville … He’d send her a text message about it now before he could forget.

**To Tina:**

Hey Tay-Tay! The book signing went great. Thanks for coming over and bringing me lunch.

**To Tina:**

By popular request, I’m going to sing and tell stories tomorrow, too :-)

**To Tina:**

Say, aren’t you having a Halloween party on Sunday? Can I come?

**From Tina:**

I’m glad you had a good time, Bling-Bling. Did you speak to Kurt after the storytelling?

**From Tina:**

Yes, I’m having a party, and of course you can come. It starts at 7.30 PM.

**From Tina:**

Bring Niff as well, will you?

**To Tina:**

No, he left. Another time perhaps. He seemed nice.

**To Tina:**

I’ll ask Nick and Jeff. Can’t make promises, though, they might have other plans already.

**From Tina:**

Okay, let me know, will you? See you on Sunday! Can’t wait!

**To Tina:**

I’ll call you tomorrow. Looking forward to the party :-)


	10. Gonna Reach My Telephone

“ _There are no accidents. People come in and out of our lives for a reason and where we end up is where we were destined to be all along_.” (Mandy Hale)

Blaine was sitting on his sofa, watching an episode of Hoarders and mindlessly doodling, when all of a sudden, his phone rang. Correction: the lost phone rang. His ring tone was always a Katy Perry song, this was Lady Gaga’s Telephone. _Fitting_ , he thought. _Should I answer the phone?_

It kept ringing insistently, so he took it out of his shirt pocket, accepted the call and said: “Hello?”

Nobody answered at first, so he repeated: “Hello?”

Still no answer.

Blaine tried again: “I’m sorry, I found this phone earlier today and I don’t know exactly who it belongs to. I’m sorry if you’re trying to reach that person. But, hey, if you speak up and let me know whose phone this is, I’ll get it back to them in a flash, I promise.”

Finally, a voice answered: “Blaine? Blaine Anderson?”

[Dumbfounded, Blaine stared at the phone. Was this someone he knew? The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn’t really place it.](https://sothinky.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/screen-shot-2012-11-30-at-3-29-10-pm.png) “Yes, this is Blaine Anderson speaking. May I ask who is calling?”

“I’m the owner of the phone. We met earlier today, at the book fair, through a mutual friend. Kurt. Kurt Hummel.”

Blaine sat there gaping like a fish. _Kurt? Wow, what are the odds? I knew I’d heard that voice before! Okay, say something, you idiot!_

“Oh, hey, Kurt.” _Smooth, Anderson, really smooth_.

“I was just calling to see whether someone had found my phone. I’m glad you have.”

“Do you want me to come and bring it to you? If you give me your address, I will.” _Because I really really want to see you again._

“Oh no, it can wait. It’s nine PM already and you probably don’t live in Lima, do you?”

“No, sorry, I live in Westerville. But I could come drop it off after the book fair tomorrow, if you like?” _That wasn’t too pushy, was it? Well, I have to get his phone back to him somehow …_

“You’re signing books again tomorrow?”

“Yes, same hours as today. I’m going to sing and tell a story again, too. Loads of people told me they’d come back tomorrow if I performed again. Guess they liked it.” _No, I’m not fishing for a compliment, Kurt, but I’d like one all the same …_

“You were brilliant. Maybe I’ll come by tomorrow to pick up my phone. Sarah wanted a book signed by you anyway. When’s story time planned? Wouldn’t want to miss it …” Kurt chuckled softly.

_He’s coming to see me again? Better and better!_

“It’s not set in stone yet, but I think it’ll be around 2 PM.” _Please say you’ll be there!_

“Okay, it’s a date! I’m bringing Sarah and her brother. I’m warning you, though; maybe Sarah’s mother will want to come along, too, now that Sarah’s been talking about you non-stop the whole evening.”

“The more the merrier.” _Actually, I’d rather have you to myself, but I’ll be glad to see you regardless._

“Alright then. Thank you for rescuing my phone, and I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“See you tomorrow!”

Blaine put the phone carefully on the coffee table, then got up and danced a happy jig around the living room. Yes! He was going to see Kurt again. And so soon, too! Would he dare to ask Kurt if he planned on coming to Tina’s party?

**K &B**

The next day, he arrived early again at the book fair and sketched until the book signing was scheduled to begin. He’d had an idea for a new story, and for him, it always started with images, so he sketched until he had the entire outline. And if the main character looked a bit like Kurt, well, that was pure coincidence. He couldn’t help it that Kurt looked like he came straight out of a storybook, now, could he?

With no Mr Smythe to take the attention away from Blaine, people lined up eagerly to talk to him and get his autograph. One person asked why he’d chosen that particular book character to be featured on his posters, and he explained that it was because of the message she exuded. Perdita was an unlikely heroine, but put on the spot she reacted just the right way to save the day. And Blaine liked to believe that we all have the potential in us to make a difference in a person’s life by the simplest of actions, and that we should strive to live up to that potential every single day of our lives.

Another reader complimented Blaine on his accurate depiction of how a child thought and reacted and wanted to know if he had children of his own. Blaine shook his head, smiling, but explained that, as an elementary school teacher, he’d acquired some insight into the workings of a young mind.

At noon, he shared his sandwiches with Jeff and Nick, who’d dropped by with Nick’s half-sisters in tow. Iris and Nina were nine and seven years old, respectively, and they loved Blaine. Usually, that love was mutual, but when Blaine noticed they’d eaten all the chocolate chip cookies he’d brought as dessert, he was less than pleased. However, he was thankful for the distraction they provided as 2 PM neared.

Would Kurt come, as promised? Would Blaine hear him sing? Would he like the new story? Would he stay and talk a bit afterwards?

Nick and Jeff agreed to stay and provide back-up for the sing-along, and towards 2 PM, Blaine announced to the crowd that he’d sing a few songs, encouraging all the children and their parents to join in, and promising to tell them a story afterwards if they had done a good job.

[He’d just played the first few chords of Mr Tambourine Man when he heard Sarah’s voice pipe up, and a fierce joy lit up his face when he looked her way and saw Kurt. ](http://lilyvandersteen.tumblr.com/post/108341934539/weave-your-magic-chapter-10-gonna-reach-my)They locked eyes for a moment, and Blaine’s smile grew impossibly wider when Kurt started singing along. Wow, what a voice! And the tiny brunette next to him - Sarah’s mother, probably, they looked so alike - had an exceptional range and projection. Yes, he definitely needed to ask Tina about the glee club she’d been in. Or ask her what was in the drinking water in Lima, Ohio, that everyone there seemed to be graced with singing skills worthy of Whitney Houston. 

When they’d sung for a while, he praised the children for having sung so beautifully, and asked them whether they’d like to hear a story now. The resounding YES that answered his question made him chuckle, and he proceeded to tell them the Japanese folk tale of the Three Strong Women.

The applause he got afterwards warmed his heart, but he had eyes for only one listener, who made his way to Blaine as soon as the crowd dispersed. Sarah, her mother and her brother followed in his wake.

“Hey,” said Kurt. “That was lovely. The crowd ate it up.”

Blaine felt a blush creep up. “Thank you.”

“This is my sister-in-law, Rachel. Sarah you already know, and this young man is called Toby. He wasn’t feeling too well yesterday, but today, he’s on top of the world, aren’t you, Tobes?”

The boy hid behind his mother, big chocolate eyes peeping at Blaine from between Rachel’s legs.

Rachel shook his hand and smiled at him. “So you’re the famous Blaine … Tina’s told me about you. And Sarah’s quite smitten with you, too. You’ve managed to supplant Sebastian Smythe as her favourite author in just one afternoon. I’m impressed.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rachel. These are my friends Nick and Jeff, also known as Niff for short, because they’re inseparable, and Nick’s sisters Iris and Nina. Jeff and I were in the Dalton Warblers together. You were in Tina’s glee club, in high school?”

“The lead singer, actually,” Rachel clarified proudly.

“The bossiest singer, actually, who always got her way and hogged all the solos,” rectified Kurt.

“Hey!” protested Rachel. “That’s …”

“The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But we love you anyway, honey,” said Kurt, pulling her close and kissing her on the temple.

Rachel, who had looked as though she wanted to hit him just a minute ago, melted visibly under his gentle touch and smiled at him affectionately.

“We’ve always been very close, the lot of us. We fought a lot, but we had each other’s backs. I married my duet partner from glee club, and Tina and Quinn did, too.”

Kurt snorted. “You make it sound like glee club was a dating service. I still think it was madness that you and Finn got married in senior year. Quinn, I can understand, because she wanted to raise Beth with Puck, but you had no reason to get married that early.”

Rachel shrugged. “It seemed the right thing to do at the time. I thought I’d manage to go to college anyway, but then I got pregnant straightaway and had Sarah, and Finn was away all the time at the police academy, so I had to drop out of college and focus on my family. I don’t regret it, though. I’m so happy with Finn and my babies.”

She sounded a bit wistful, though, Blaine thought. Time to change the topic!

“Tina’s having a Halloween party on Sunday. Niff and I will be there. Are you all coming, too?” he asked.

Rachel looked at Kurt. “We haven’t discussed it yet, but Finn’s off duty, so we could come. Do you think Burt and Carole would mind baby-sitting?”

Kurt grinned. “Yesterday, dad complained again that he doesn’t get to see his grandkids often enough these days, so you’d be doing him a kindness, really.”

Sarah jumped up and down in excitement. “We get to stay at grandpa’s on Sunday? Yay!”

She turned to Blaine and said: “Grandpa Burt tells good stories too, but I like yours better.”

“Thank you for the compliment,” smiled Blaine.

“Mama, can I have a book signed by Blaine?” purred Sarah, her eyes wide and beseeching.

“If you promise to be good for grandpa and grandma on Sunday,” Rachel bargained.

“I will, I promise!”

Blaine chuckled. “Right this way then. Kurt, come along too, I still have your phone.”


	11. Hello, Is It Me You're Looking For?

“ _Tess’s grandmother used to say, think before you speak; she also used to say, look before you leap. Tess can imagine how her grandmother would be tutting at her now. She hadn’t actually thought about what she was going to say or what she was hoping to hear when she had phoned the number_ […].” (Freya North, _Secrets_ )

Kurt’s head felt as though it was about to split in two. Ever since they’d gotten home, Sarah had been going on and on about Blaine. You’d think she’d completely forgotten she actually wanted to score Seb’s autograph this morning. She’d unceremoniously dumped Seb’s autographed book on the sofa when they got in and hadn’t glanced at it since. Instead, she was retelling Blaine’s story for the benefit of her parents and grandparents, with all the dramatic flair of a seasoned actress. She really was the spitting image of Rachel in every respect, though she’d definitely grow up to be taller than her mother, having inherited her father’s long limbs.

Toby was clamping himself onto his mother’s or father’s leg like a koala bear, whining loudly that he wanted juice, that he wanted his Eeyore stuffed toy, that he wanted mommy or daddy to carry him around, that his throat hurt, that he wanted to tell a story too and why wouldn’t anybody listen to him?

Rachel was berating Finn for coming home much later than his shift ended and with his stomach already full and beer on his breath. “I don’t care how long ago it is that you last saw Puck, you might have let me know you’d be eating out!”

Burt had the television on at full volume showing a football match and was alternately shouting encouragements and berating the players at the top of his voice.

All that noise, combined with Kurt’s early start this morning and the emotional rollercoaster the day had taken him on were culminating in a killer headache, and he just wanted to shut down all his senses, crawl into bed and sleep.

He was in the kitchen with Carole, doing the dishes, their every attempt at conversation drowning in the general cacophony, and he winced every now and then, rubbing his temples or resting his forehead against the cool metal surface of the fridge.

Carole rinsed the last of the pans, dried her hands and took over Kurt’s dishtowel. She laid her hand on his arm and said softly: “You look exhausted. I’ll finish up here. Go home and get some sleep.”

That sounded like a really good idea, so he quickly said goodnight to everyone and drove to his house. He had just finished his skincare routine and was about to drink a mug of hot milk when he remembered his phone. He hoped it would be found soon, and he hoped the finder wouldn’t pry. Maybe it had been found already? Well, he had a landline, so he could find out, he supposed. Would it be weird for him to call his own phone and see whether someone answered the call?

Moments later, he had dialled his cell phone number and was waiting for someone to pick up the phone.

[He was just about to give up when he heard a click and a “Hello?”](http://lilyvandersteen.tumblr.com/post/108342105424/weave-your-magic-chapter-11-hello-is-it-me)

Who was that? He knew that voice, he was sure of it.

“Hello?”

Why did he feel like he knew this person? _Hummel, stop behaving like a freaky stalker and answer or you’ll never get your phone back!_

There was the voice again: “I’m sorry, I found this phone earlier today and I don’t know exactly who it belongs to. I’m sorry if you’re trying to reach that person. But, hey, if you speak up and let me know whose phone this is, I’ll get it back to them in a flash, I promise.”

And then it came to him. Those honey tones were Blaine’s, he’d bet his Tom Ford tuxedo on it! So he asked: “Blaine? Blaine Anderson?”

There was silence for a moment, and then he heard: “Yes, this is Blaine Anderson speaking. May I ask who is calling?”

 _Oh, of course, he can’t see you over the phone, you idiot, so be polite and tell him who you are, before you completely freak him out_. “I’m the owner of the phone. We met earlier today, at the book fair, through a mutual friend. Kurt. Kurt Hummel.”

 _Okay, that sounded very pompous, but it served its purpose, I guess_.

Blaine was silent for a beat, then said “Oh, hey, Kurt” sounding pleased.

Kurt continued: “I was just calling to see whether someone had found my phone. I’m glad you have.” _Because that means I will get to see you again_.

“Do you want me to come and bring it to you? If you give me your address, I will,” Blaine offered. He sounded both hesitant and eager.

_Seems like I made an impression on him, too. Good to know we’re on the same page. Only, I’m really not in the mood for company right now._

“Oh no, it can wait. It’s nine PM already and you probably don’t live in Lima, do you?”

 _If you did, I’d have noticed you before, I can tell you_.

“No, sorry, I live in Westerville,” clarified Blaine, sounding apologetic about it. “But I could come drop it off after the book fair tomorrow, if you like?”

Again, the hesitancy was there. Kurt remembered Blaine blushing when they spoke that afternoon. Apparently, Blaine was a bit shy when he wasn’t performing or waxing poetic on a topic he was passionate about.

“You’re signing books again tomorrow?” asked Kurt.

“Yes, same hours as today. I’m going to sing and tell a story again, too. Loads of people told me they’d come back tomorrow if I performed again. Guess they liked it.”

Kurt heard pride in Blaine’s voice, mingled with uncertainty and surprise.

“You were brilliant,” he agreed wholeheartedly. And then, lured by the promise of another story, he added: “Maybe I’ll come by tomorrow to pick up my phone. Sarah wanted a book signed by you anyway. When’s story time planned? Wouldn’t want to miss it …”

He chuckled at himself. _Could you be any more obvious?_

“It’s not set in stone yet, but I think it’ll be around 2 PM,” answered Blaine.

“Okay, it’s a date!” said Kurt, then face-palmed. _Why did I say that? Okay, some backtracking is in order_. “I’m bringing Sarah and her brother. I’m warning you, though; maybe Sarah’s mother will want to come along, too, now that Sarah’s been talking about you non-stop the whole evening.”

 _There, that makes it a lot more family-friendly_.

“The more the merrier,” replied Blaine.

“Alright then. Thank you for rescuing my phone, and I’ll see you tomorrow!” _Can’t wait!_

“See you tomorrow!”

And just like that, Kurt’s smile was back in place. Bad day? Maybe. But it ended on the right note.

**K &B**

The next day, he called Rachel, explained about his phone and asked if he could take Sarah and Toby to Westerville to see Blaine again. As he expected, Rachel wanted to come along, and in the car, while belting out show tunes, she kept throwing sly glances at him when she noticed him tapping his fingers on the dashboard or showing other signs of nerves. He hoped she’d behave herself. The last thing he needed was another matchmaker.

They arrived just after 2 PM, Toby having needed a potty break twice on the ride to Westerville. Kurt could hear Blaine strumming the melody of Mr Tambourine Man, but nobody had actually started singing yet, so they couldn’t have missed much. [Blaine looked up when they came in and smiled right at Kurt, positively beaming when he heard Kurt sing along.](http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lbykx015xg1qd1240o1_500.jpg)

After five songs, Blaine praised all the children present for having sung so beautifully, and asked them whether they’d like to hear a story now. Sarah and Toby wriggled with glee and shouted “Yes” at the top of their voices. Blaine’s tale was heart-warming and funny, and Kurt sighed with satisfaction when it was over and clapped hard.

“Okay, let’s go see Blaine!” he said to the others, and together they approached Blaine. Next to him, Kurt saw the blond colleague who helped Blaine out yesterday and a shorter, brown-haired man who was teasing two girls about Sarah’s age who looked a lot like him - his daughters?

“Hey,” said Kurt. “That was lovely. The crowd ate it up.”

Blaine blushed and ducked his head. “Thank you.”

Kurt introduced his family to Blaine. “This is my sister-in-law, Rachel. Sarah you already know, and this young man is called Toby. He wasn’t feeling too well yesterday, but today, he’s on top of the world, aren’t you, Tobes?”

Toby got a shy attack and hid between Rachel’s legs.

Rachel shook Blaine’s hand and smiled at him. “So you’re the famous Blaine … Tina’s told me about you. And Sarah’s quite smitten with you, too. You’ve managed to supplant Sebastian Smythe as her favourite author in just one afternoon. I’m impressed.”

_Wait … What? Tina’s told you about Blaine? When? And how much do you know about him?_

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rachel,” answered Blaine. He waved to the men and the girls standing next to him. “These are my friends Nick and Jeff, also known as Niff for short, because they’re inseparable, and Nick’s sisters Iris and Nina. Jeff and I were in the Dalton Warblers together. You were in Tina’s glee club, in high school?”

“The lead singer, actually,” boasted Rachel.

Kurt huffed. “The bossiest singer, actually, who always got her way and hogged all the solos.”

“Hey!” protested Rachel. “That’s …”

“The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” said Kurt. He saw that she looked hurt, and relented, hugging her sideways and giving her a quick kiss. “But we love you anyway, honey.”

They smiled at each other. It was true. Kurt was glad to call Rachel his sister. Yes, she could be self-absorbed, loud and obnoxious, but she was a fierce, loyal friend with a talent and drive that deserved a better fate than to be buried in Lima, Ohio.

“We’ve always been very close, the lot of us,” reminisced Rachel. “We fought a lot, but we had each other’s backs. I married my duet partner from glee club, and Tina and Quinn did, too.”

Kurt snorted. “You make it sound like glee club was a dating service. I still think it was madness that you and Finn got married in senior year. Quinn, I can understand, because she wanted to raise Beth with Puck, but you had no reason to get married that early.”

_And if you hadn’t, you might have been on Broadway today. I love my brother, but I hate him for taking that away from you._

Rachel shrugged. “It seemed the right thing to do at the time. I thought I’d manage to go to college anyway, but then I got pregnant straightaway and had Sarah, and Finn was away all the time at the police academy, so I had to drop out of college and focus on my family. I don’t regret it, though. I’m so happy with Finn and my babies.”

Blaine frowned, and then jumped to another topic.

“Tina’s having a Halloween party on Sunday. Niff and I will be there. Are you all coming, too?” he asked.

_Well, since you’re asking so nicely …_

Rachel looked at Kurt. “We haven’t discussed it yet, but Finn’s off duty, so we could come. Do you think Burt and Carole would mind baby-sitting?”

Kurt grinned, elated at the thought of a New Directions reunion. “Yesterday, dad complained again that he doesn’t get to see his grandkids often enough these days, so you’d be doing him a kindness, really.”

Sarah jumped up and down in excitement. “We get to stay at grandpa’s on Sunday? Yay!”

She turned to Blaine and said: “Grandpa Burt tells good stories too, but I like yours better.”

_Me too, honey._

“Thank you for the compliment,” smiled Blaine.

“Mama, can I have a book signed by Blaine?” purred Sarah, cocking her head to the side and making puppy-dog eyes.

“If you promise to be good for grandpa and grandma on Sunday,” Rachel hedged.

“I will, I promise!” shouted Sarah.

Blaine chuckled. “Right this way then. Kurt, come along too, I still have your phone.”

Kurt was glad to have his phone back. He felt tempted to ask for Blaine’s number.

 _I really like him._ As much as the thought scared him, it thrilled him, too.

Blaine’s fidgeting seemed to imply he had the same idea, but didn’t dare to ask. Rachel saved the day by insisting Kurt and Blaine exchanged numbers, just in case the Westerville boys got lost tomorrow driving to Tina’s house. No-one mentioned that they might just as well call Tina to ask for directions.

They returned home with a triumphant Sarah clutching Blaine’s book, Toby napping and Kurt and Rachel discussing costume ideas for the party.

Later that evening, sorting through his wardrobe and combining items into costumes, Kurt had managed to narrow it down to three options when his phone chimed. He unlocked the screen and saw a text from Blaine.

**To: Kurt Hummel**

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow - Blaine

**To: Blaine Anderson**

Looking forward to it, too - Kurt

**To: Blaine Anderson**

Only … What on earth should I wear? - K

**To: Blaine Anderson**

One day is short notice :-( - K

**To: Kurt Hummel**

Make it work! (Sorry, watching Project Runway reruns) - B

**To: Blaine Anderson**

Of course I will! But … I can’t make up my mind - K

**To: Blaine Anderson**

Three options: creepy, sexy or mysterious - K

**To: Blaine Anderson**

Which do I pick? - K

**To: Kurt Hummel**

Can’t you combine all three? No pressure :-P - B


	12. I Like You

“ _Gilbert suddenly laid his hand over the slender white one lying on the rail of the bridge. His hazel eyes deepened into darkness, his still boyish lips opened to say something of the dream and hope that thrilled his soul_.” (Lucy Maud Montgomery, _Anne of the Island_ )

The following afternoon, Kurt went to Finn and Rachel’s to get ready for the Halloween party together. [Finn would be going as Jack Pumpkinhead, so he had been making a papier mâché pumpkin head with Sarah’s help and Toby’s hindrance.](https://www.flickr.com/photos/guttersniperv/8165659507) Kurt lent him purple pants, a pink shirt and a red vest, and that was Finn’s costume sorted out.

Rachel was going as Dorothy, and had already slipped into the dress and the ruby slippers. [Kurt helped her plait her hair and supervised her make-up, then helped Sarah into the junior version of the costume and plaited her hair, too.](http://images.halloweencostumes.com/products/8476/1-1/tiny-tikes-dorothy-costume.jpg) [Toby wanted to be a robot, so Finn and Kurt got creative with cardboard boxes, bottles and wire until all three of them approved of the end result.](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/21/5f/0a/215f0a2dcb7967caa7ab979c1d7fb23a.jpg)

Then it was Kurt’s turn. [He was channelling a mafia boss in a perfectly tailored three-piece suit with a matching hat and sunglasses.](http://images.halloweencostumes.com/products/1569/1-1/mens-mob-boss-costume.jpg) He glued on a thin moustache à la Don Vito Corleone, darkened his skin tone and accentuated his cheekbones. He’d bought a box of milk chocolate cigars, and Toby lent him a toy gun in a holster. Perfect!

They dropped off Sarah and Toby at their grandparents’, holding straw baskets and jabbering excitedly about trick-or-treating and staying up late watching scary movies. Carole and Burt seemed just as thrilled to have their grandchildren over on Halloween, and Kurt noticed a sizable stack of candy on the side table in the hallway, ready to be handed out to trick-or-treaters or devoured by Sarah and Toby, he supposed.

Rachel, Finn and Kurt rode on to Tina and Mike’s place. The house was beautifully decorated on the outside, with lots of carved pumpkins holding a candle. The flickering orange and yellow light felt very welcoming, in spite of the pumpkins’ monster faces.

They were the first guests to arrive, so they helped set up the drinks and the snacks and Kurt and Rachel helped Tina into the corset of her vampire attire. [The costume had a high black collar, and the deep red dress under the corset was tempered with black lace and oversized black lace sleeves.](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GzVEnlw05yY/VFNxR4J3vVI/AAAAAAAAAXw/upYj_eQNJds/s1600/07085426_interactive_a.jpg) Tina’s hair was curled and piled high on her head. She looked stunning.

[Mike was channelling The Mask, with a green face, a garish yellow suit and manic movements that Kurt quite frankly found disturbing.](http://photos.costume-works.com/full/the_mask_jim_carrey1.jpg)

In twos and threes, the other guests started arriving. [Mercedes and Sam came as Angelique and Barnabas from Dark Shadows.](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/6a/ae/42/6aae423e9e565918dd4d49928711028b.jpg) They had come all the way from LA, where Mercedes was recording her second album and Sam worked as a model. Mercedes squealed when she saw Kurt, and they spent the next hour catching up, oblivious to their surroundings.

When they resurfaced, breathless with laughter and a bit thirsty after having talked for so long, the party was in full swing. [Artie was wearing a red-and-white striped Waldo outfit](http://partycity1.scene7.com/is/image/PartyCity/314361?wid=475) and had inspired a game of hide-and-seek. [Santana, in a red devil cat suit](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/b3/cc/19/b3cc19fb0459a7cf9c5b4ca240eef97c.jpg), [flanked by Kitty and Brittany in black devil cat suits](http://g02.a.alicdn.com/kf/HTB12s.1HVXXXXX0XVXXq6xXFXXXP/2015-Hot-selling-Sexy-Catwomen-Costume-PVC-Faux-Leather-Catsuit-Latex-Bodysuit-Exotic-Apparel-Performance-Outfit.jpg) and [Puck as Hellboy](http://img.costumecraze.com/images/vendors/hrc/17572-Hellboy-Costume-Hellboy-2-large.jpg), were recruiting party-goers for a game of Truth and Dare.

[Mike, Niff (both as pirates) and Jake (dressed as a gladiator) were playing Just Dance on the Xbox, and among the spectators egging them on, there was a dashing barber with a white streak in his hair whose sweet caramel eyes seemed too kind to belong to a killer.](http://lilyvandersteen.tumblr.com/post/108348467094/weave-your-magic-chapter-12-i-like-you-part-4)

Kurt sidled up to him and said “Hi Sweeney Todd”.

Blaine jumped slightly, spilling some of the drink he was holding and looking at him with wide eyes.

Kurt towed Blaine towards the love seat he’d sat on with Mercedes just now and started dabbing at the wet fabric of Blaine’s costume with his handkerchief.

“Sorry”, he apologised. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Blaine’s cheeks went pink again. “Hey Kurt. Sorry, I’m easily spooked, I’m afraid. A consequence of what’s happened to me in the past.”

Kurt raised his eyebrows. “Bullying?”

“An attack,” said Blaine. “I went to a public school in Westerville, and they had this Sadie Hawkins dance. I’d just come out, and I’d asked the only other boy at school who was out to go the dance together. Just as friends, you know. And after the dance, we were waiting for his dad to pick us up, when we were attacked from behind. They used baseball bats. It’s a wonder we both survived.”

“Wow,” said Kurt. “And I thought I had it bad in high school.”

Blaine gently took Kurt’s right hand between both of his. “Hey, don’t be sad. It’s so long ago. After that incident, I transferred to Dalton, and I loved it there. I reconnected with many friends I used to have as kids, who had gone straight to Dalton for high school instead of trying a public school first, like me.”

Kurt had frozen for a moment when Blaine took his hand. Usually, people gave Kurt a wide berth. The New Directions girls had accepted him as one of their own, and especially Rachel and Mercedes, his besties, would cuddle with him and hug him and kiss him on the cheek and even have sleep-overs with him where they all shared a bed. Finn, his step-brother, was close enough with Kurt now to feel comfortable hugging him from time to time, and the male New Directioners, even the ones who used to bully him, felt at ease with him as well, patting him on the back and fist-bumping him. But apart from them and his dad, no other man or boy had ever initiated physical contact with him, other than polite handshakes.

So this was new, and more than a little thrilling. He felt warmth spreading through his body, felt his hand tingling under the contact and felt his mouth split into a smile so wide it hurt his cheeks.

Blaine was silent, staring at the floor. Was he reliving the memories of the attack? Kurt softly squeezed the hand under his in sympathy. _Look at me, Blaine_ , he thought, _please, look at me_.

And then Blaine did look up, slowly, tentatively, his eyes peeking from under his beautiful long lashes timidly as though he were fearing rejection. Kurt squeezed his hand again and couldn’t help beaming at him, and that caused a breath-taking smile to unfurl across Blaine’s face.

“I like you,” Blaine stated, and then clapped his hand over his mouth as if he hadn’t planned on saying that out loud.

Kurt giggled, giddy with happiness, and then hastened to say: “I like you too.”


	13. I Like You Too

“ _Like the touch of his hand in the tea rooms, it made her heart begin to pound with a happiness so heady, so immediate and so violent that she could not have spoken a word. She raised her eyes to his face, however, and what she read in his was almost too wonderful for her to believe._ ” (Jane Austen and “another lady”, _Sanditon_ )

Blaine watched Nick and Jeff mock fighting with their swords, speaking pirate talk, chasing one another, jumping onto the furniture and stealing kisses in between swipes. He was torn between doubling up with laughter and seeing green with envy. He wanted this, too. He had loving parents, an exasperating but caring brother, the job of his dreams and fantastic friends and colleagues, but he craved more.

He wanted someone to share his life with, someone to come home to, someone to cherish and look after, someone to go to sleep with and to wake up to in the morning. He wanted the easy companionship and the complementarity he saw whenever he looked at his best friends. When would it finally be his turn?

He sighed and turned back to the mirror to adjust his scarf and his wig, then critically examined the outfit from head to toe. The vest and pants hugged his body perfectly, and the make-up and wild hair made him look just creepy enough.

“Let’s go party!” he sang, pepping himself up.

“Aye, aye, captain!” saluted Nick, and off they went.

When they arrived at Tina’s place, most of the invitees had already arrived. Blaine swallowed convulsively at the thought of braving the masses. The only ones he would know there were Niff, Tina, Mike, Rachel and Kurt. _Man up, Anderson, you can do this_ , he said to himself.

They found Tina and chatted with her for a while, complimenting her on her fabulous costume, and then they looked for Mike. He was playing Just Dance, and invited them to join in. Nick and Jeff accepted the invitation with alacrity, Blaine chose to sit this one out and cheer his friends on.

He looked around the room, trying to spot Kurt, and at last, he recognised him, in a snugly fitting striped dark grey suit with a red tie and a white hat. His skin looked darker than usual, he was wearing a moustache and sunglasses hid his eyes. He was talking to a girl in a glittery red dress and a blonde wig. His face was animated and joyful, his hands gesticulating wildly and he was laughing with abandon. It made Blaine’s breath catch in his throat, and made him wish that he were the one to make Kurt laugh like that.

The dancers were on their fourth song when Kurt and the girl got up from the loveseat they were sitting on to go fetch something to drink and to mingle with the other guests. Blaine quickly refocused on the dancing, not wanting to be caught staring, and laughed at Jeff’s antics, who had given up on trying to one-up Mike and was now goofing off to distract the other players.

Suddenly, there was a low voice in his ear. “Hi Sweeney Todd.”

Though rationally, he knew that no-one here at this party would harm him, the voice and what it reminded him of scared him out of his wits. He gave a start, slopping his drink onto his scarf and vest and whirling around towards the sound wide-eyed and fearful.

It was Kurt. _Oh great, he comes up to talk with you and instead of reacting like a normal person, you almost wet your pants, you moron_ , Blaine berated himself.

Kurt immediately took him by the arm and tugged him towards the loveseat, where he attacked Blaine’s scarf and vest with his handkerchief. Blaine wasn’t so concerned about his costume. The drink he’d spilled was a clear liquid, so it probably wouldn’t leave any stains. He was more concerned about what Kurt would think of his reaction.

“Sorry”, Kurt apologised. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Blaine felt the blood rush to his cheeks, mortified. “Hey Kurt. Sorry, I’m easily spooked, I’m afraid. A consequence of what’s happened to me in the past.”

Kurt raised his eyebrows. “Bullying?”

“An attack,” said Blaine. “I went to a public school in Westerville, and they had this Sadie Hawkins dance. I’d just come out, and I’d asked the only other boy at school who was out to go the dance together. Just as friends, you know. And after the dance, we were waiting for his dad to pick us up, when we were attacked from behind. They used baseball bats. It’s a wonder we both survived.”

He shuddered slightly. That was a story he hated to tell. _Focus on happy thoughts_.

“Wow,” said Kurt, overwhelmed. “And I thought I had it bad in high school.”

Without thinking about it, Blaine took Kurt’s right hand between both of his in reassurance. “Hey, don’t be sad. It’s so long ago. After that incident, I transferred to Dalton, and I loved it there. I reconnected with many friends I used to have as kids, who had gone straight to Dalton for high school instead of trying a public school first, like me.”

And he meant it. That part of his life was over. Dalton had pieced him back together, and he never looked back.

Kurt started slightly when Blaine took his hand, and immediately, he second-guessed his spontaneous gesture. He had invaded Kurt’s personal space. Kurt probably wanted Blaine to let go of his hand. Why had he taken it in the first place? Yes, he did that to Nick and Jeff and Tina and everyone he was comfortable with all the time, but he didn’t know Kurt all that well yet, and he seemed like a very private person. _Bad move, Anderson!_

His panicking was cut short by a soft squeeze of his left hand. What did Kurt mean by that?

Blaine slowly raised his head and searched Kurt’s eyes for anger, disgust or rejection, but he found none. They were filled with wonder and delight. Kurt squeezed his hand again and beamed at him, his face glowing as if lit from within and his eyes a mesmerising swirl of blues and greens. Wow, he was stunning.

That was probably why Blaine’s brain short-circuited and made him blurt out “I like you”, for all the world as if he were a toddler.

Kurt giggled at that, a clear musical sound like silver bells, his eyes crinkling and luminous with joy, and reciprocated: “I like you too.”

They looked at each other shyly, still grinning like goons, Blaine’s heart beating so fast and loudly it seemed ready to jump straight out of his chest.

“Sorry,” Blaine mumbled, “I’m not very good at romance, I’m afraid. I’ve never had a boyfriend. This is all very new for me.”

Kurt seemed surprised. “You’ve never had a boyfriend? Seriously?”

Blaine chuckled self-consciously. “No. It’s kind of a long story.”

That made Kurt smile excitedly. “I’ve got time. And I like your stories.”

Blaine felt his cheeks heating up again. “Alright then … Where do I start?”

“I guess the story starts in elementary school. When I was eight, I joined a soccer team and I made friends with some of my teammates. You’ve met two of them, Nick and Jeff, and this story is about them. Nick’s father and both of Jeff’s parents are diplomats. That means they never stay in one place long. Nick has lived in Germany, in Tokyo, in Moscow and in Ivory Coast. Jeff has lived in France, in Switzerland, in Turkey and in Bolivia. But from the age of six until the age of eleven, they both lived here in Westerville, with their grandparents, so as to provide some stability in their lives.”

“We all became the best of friends, the three of us, plus Wes and Thad, whom you haven’t met yet. But Nick and Jeff were thick as thieves. They lived in the same street; they were always playing together, having sleep-overs, spending basically every minute of every day together.”

“But then, a few days after my eleventh birthday, Nick left. He went abroad to live with his parents, and that’s the last we saw of him for several years. We were all sad, but Jeff was devastated. I remember him telling me that Nick leaving was all his fault, but when I asked him what had happened, he clammed up. And a few months later, he left with his parents as well.”

“Next, I went to high school, came out as gay, and was beaten up rather badly at a school dance, as I told you, so I transferred to Dalton, a private school with a zero-tolerance policy against bullying, and I reconnected with Wes and Thad and joined the Warblers. And I was happy.”

“The next school year, I came to school the first day and found that Jeff’s parents had divorced, and Jeff was back in Westerville and was enrolled at Dalton as well. He was my roommate. I was thrilled, and he seemed really happy to be back as well. [We were the best of friends, and we hung out together all the time](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/9b/4a/19/9b4a196b8aa449e42a1de5e3dd06a33b.jpg). So … I … I gradually fell in love with him. And then, at the Warblers’ Christmas party, I kissed him. Just a quick peck, on his mouth, but he really freaked out and ran off.”

“And then he told me what had happened with Nick. How Nick’s grandfather had walked in on them kissing, one day, and had immediately thrown Jeff out of the house with the warning never to come back, and had shipped Nick off to his parents because he didn’t want a gay grandson.”

“Jeff hadn’t seen or heard of Nick since, but he was still very much in love with him, so I didn’t stand a chance. But it was no use telling that to my heart, because it had a will of its own and stubbornly kept loving Jeff.”

“[And then Jeff and I went to teacher’s college, and on the day we were moving into the dorms, we literally bumped into Nick](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YTNqzSUu9H0/mqdefault.jpg). Jeff begged me to take over Nick’s single room and let him room with Nick, so I did. But we still spent loads of time together and as much as I knew that Niff were together and would probably always be together, I spent my college time always crushing on either the one or the other. It’s pathetic, I know.”

“And now I’ve been a teacher for a few years, and most of my colleagues are women, and when I go out, it’s either with them or with Niff. I don’t know. Maybe I’m just scared of meeting someone new and opening up to him. Or maybe I’m just waiting for the right person to come along.”


	14. Raise Your Glass

“ _But the weirdest part of all was that while it had been happening—once I’d gotten used to the idea, I mean, of this hot guy hanging out with me—it hadn’t actually seemed that weird at all. It was like that smile Will had given me that day in the park, the one I hadn’t been able to keep from returning. It had just seemed natural, even right, to smile back, just like it had seemed totally natural—natural and, yes, right—to have Will there, joking around with the silverware as we set the table, laughing at my Graul’s bag boy imitation_.” (Meg Cabot, _Avalon High_ )

Blaine looked down at their joined hands again. He’d unconsciously been playing with Kurt’s fingers while telling the story. Now he stilled his hands and waited for a reaction, any reaction, from Kurt.

“Blaine?” Kurt’s high, melodious voice called his attention again. “You’re not pathetic. Wait until I tell you about my embarrassing crushes …”

Kurt told him what had happened with his first crush, Sebastian. He told it very plainly, yet Blaine could see how deeply it had hurt him, and it made him stiffen up and ball his hands into fists. If he disliked Sebastian Smythe before, that was nothing to the absolute fury he now felt towards him.

Then a thought occurred to him. “So … You were a child actor? Does that mean it actually WAS you who played Argyle?”

Kurt nodded. “Nobody knows, though. I tend to avoid the limelight since I left “A Tree Called Life”. I used a pseudonym and the character looked and behaved like he was on the wrong side of seventy. Basically, the only part of me that was recognisable was my eyes, and I’m stunned that you connected Argyle with me. Not even my father recognised me, and he’s seen the film about a zillion times.”

Blaine coloured up and bit his lip. “I’ve seen it many times as well. I … I love Mark Easterbrook’s novels, especially “Breathless”. And the film adaptation is sublime.”

“Though it scares you witless,” Kurt chuckled.

“Though it scares me witless,” Blaine confirmed.

They were silent for a moment, and then Kurt sighed.

“Well, I should get on with it, shouldn’t I? My embarrassing crushes?”

Blaine squeezed his hand and said softly: “You don’t have to tell me if it makes you feel uncomfortable.”

Kurt shook his head, sincerity blazing in his eyes. “It’s strange, but I actually feel very much at ease with you. And I want to share this with you.”

Blaine smiled and said: “Thank you. I’m glad you do.”

Kurt seemed to debate where to start his story, biting his lip.

“So then I went back to Lima, to live with my dad. I had visited him often, of course, with my aunt and uncle, but I had to get used to him all over again. And it came as a shock to me that he had a girlfriend. Her name was Carole Hudson. She was a single parent as well, and her son Finn was about my age.”

“At school, Finn was very popular. He was the quarterback of the football team, he was dating the head cheerleader, and he was kind of a jerk. When I started going to William McKinley High, he and the other jocks would throw me into dumpsters, bump into me on purpose, slushy me, and generally make my life miserable.”

“But then our parents decided it was time all four of us got to know one another better, and the Hudsons started coming over for dinner on Fridays. And that was … Let’s say it was an eye-opener for Finn. He slowly went from being homophobic to accepting me and actually looking out for me. He didn’t bully me anymore, and he stopped others from bullying me.”

“And, well … [Call it Stockholm syndrome or just plain foolishness, but the more I got to know Finn, the more I crushed on him](http://primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Kurt-finn-460x258.jpg). I knew he was straight, but he was the only boy in the whole school who was nice to me, and I just couldn’t help myself.” 

“It was also thanks to Finn that I made friends at William McKinley High. He was in the glee club and got me to join, too. I was afraid for the backlash at first, scared of being bullied even harder when people found out I joined glee club, but it actually got better instead of worse. When I got slushied, there was always a gleek around to help me wash the slush out of my eyes and hair.”

“And the music helped a lot, too. We dealt with our emotions through singing, and we got very close sharing all that with each other. The New Directions are like a family. Granted, a dysfunctional family with lots of quarrels and misunderstandings, but a family nonetheless. They all have my back and I have theirs.”

“Anyway, by the time my dad married Carole and the Hudsons moved in with us, my crush had luckily petered out. I grew to love him like a brother, and we’re close, but I really don’t understand how I ever managed to crush on him. He’s such a typical straight guy, strewing his dirty socks everywhere, eating like a pig and leaving hair in the shower drain.”

Kurt daintily scrunched his nose up in disgust.

Blaine chuckled, then said: “I take it that’s Rachel’s husband then?”

Kurt nodded. “At first, Finn was dating the head cheerleader, Quinn, but she got pregnant and the father turned out to be Puck, not Finn. So Quinn and Puck got together and Finn started dating Rachel. He proposed to her in our senior year, and they got married right after sectionals and had Sarah about a year later.”

“Rachel was planning to come to New York with me, and to study at NYADA while I went to Parsons. She actually got into NYADA, but when she found out she was pregnant, she decided to stay in Lima and to take classes at the Columbus State Community College. She had to drop out of those classes as well when the pregnancy took its toll on her body and gave her severe back and pelvic pain.”

“So she became a stay-at-home mom. A few years ago though, she decided to start a business, and now she’s quite well-known as a planner of children’s birthday parties and a baker of specialty cakes.”

Kurt sounded sad at that conclusion, and Blaine could see why. “She must be really talented, to have gotten into NYADA. That school is very exclusive.”

“She is incredibly talented,” stressed Kurt. “She should on Broadway right now.”

Rachel seemed to have heard that from across the room, because the next second, she was shouting: “Karaoke! Let’s sing!”

And sing they did. Blaine listened and watched with wide eyes. He already knew that Rachel had a powerful voice, but there were two other girls, the black one Kurt had been talking to and a filthy-mouthed Latina, who could definitely give Rachel a run for her money. They duetted on “I alone” and they really killed it.

They were followed by a tough-looking guy dressed like Hellboy, who surprisingly sang a sweet love song, “I’m Your Man”.

“That’s Puck,” clarified Kurt. “I take it he and Quinn are fighting again and he’s trying to get back into her good books.”

Puck’s performance was followed by Rachel singing “Let it go”.

After her song, she flashed a mischievous smile and announced: “I hear that a few Warblers have infiltrated this New Directions reunion.”

The crowd booed playfully.

“Hey now, be nice. Shall we ask them to come up here and sing for us?”

That got a resounding “YES”.

“Alright then, Blaine and Jeff, would you come up here please?”

Blaine looked at Jeff, who seemed as stunned as he felt, but they obediently joined Rachel.

“What will we sing?” he murmured to Jeff. “Raise Your Glass? That seems kind of appropriate?”

So that’s what they sang, and they got a nice applause for it.

Afterwards, Blaine stayed with Nick and Jeff for a bit, and then searched for Kurt again, but he was nowhere to be found. When Blaine asked Rachel, she said he’d gone home.

He felt a pang of disappointment that Kurt hadn’t said goodbye to him before he left, but he guessed he couldn’t complain. He’d talked to Kurt for hours and had pretty much monopolised him, so he couldn’t grudge Kurt’s friends their time with him.

He looked at his watch and saw it was almost three in the morning. The good thing about having spilled his drink and then talked all night was that he wasn’t drunk, so he could drive back to Westerville and sleep in his own bed instead of crashing at Tina’s. He fetched Niff and they said goodbye to Tina and Mike and drove home.

Before he got into bed, he texted Kurt.

**To: Kurt Hummel**

I really enjoyed talking to you tonight - Blaine

**To: Kurt Hummel**

And your costume ticked all the boxes. You looked gorgeous. - B

**To: Kurt Hummel**

I’m sorry I missed you leaving. I hope we can meet up again sometime. - B

**To: Kurt Hummel**

Sweet dreams x - B

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are the songs mentioned in this chapter:  
> “I alone”, a duet by Anouk and Sarah Bettens  
> “I’m Your Man”, by Leonard Cohen  
> “Let It Go”, by Idina Menzel (from the Disney film “Frozen”)  
> “Raise Your Glass”, by Pink


	15. Truth Time

“ _O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;_

_It is the green-ey'd monster, which doth mock_

_The meat it feeds on._ ” (William Shakespeare, _Othello_ )

 

Kurt gaped at Blaine. “You’ve never had a boyfriend? Seriously?”

Blaine chuckled self-consciously, and it took some coaxing from Kurt to get him to discuss the subject.

Blaine told Kurt about his unrequited crushes on Jeff and Nick. He seemed rather ashamed about it, blushing right up to the tips of his ears, though Kurt saw no need for that. So he’d fallen in love with people who weren’t available? Been there, done that, but worse. At least Blaine’s crushes were both gay.

So Kurt decided to share some of his stories, starting with his crush on Sebastian and how horribly that had ended. Blaine listened carefully, his expressive eyes glowing with sadness, compassion and, towards the end of Kurt’s tale, downright fury.

Then Blaine frowned and cocked his head to the side. “So … You were a child actor? Does that mean it actually WAS you who played Argyle?”

_I’d hoped you’d forgotten about that by now, but no such luck, apparently … Ah well, time to come clean …_

Kurt nodded. “Nobody knows, though. I tend to avoid the limelight since I left “A Tree Called Life”. I used a pseudonym and the character looked and behaved like he was on the wrong side of seventy. Basically, the only part of me that was recognisable was my eyes, and I’m stunned that you connected Argyle with me. Not even my father recognised me, and he’s seen the film about a zillion times.”

Blaine’s cheeks pinked up again and he bit his lip. “I’ve seen it many times as well. I … I love Mark Easterbrook’s novels, especially “Breathless”. And the film adaptation is sublime.”

 _Glad you approve_ … _Not going to reveal I’m Mark Easterbrook yet, though. I’d like us to get to know each other first._

“Though it scares you witless,” Kurt chuckled, and Blaine confessed it did, looking a bit sheepish at the admission.

Kurt decided to take pity on him and continue telling Blaine about his crushes, sighing a bit as he did so, because his crush on Finn was really embarrassing. Blaine picked up on that, and sweetly told Kurt he didn’t have to share the story if he’d rather not. That further strengthened Kurt’s resolve to be open and frank with Blaine. He hadn’t known him for very long and didn’t know all that much about him, but he trusted him. He felt at home with him, as if they’d been friends forever.

The conversation flowed naturally. Talking about Finn turned into talking about Kurt joining glee club, about Quinn and the baby drama, and then about Rachel.

And speaking of the devil, Rachel was calling for karaoke. Kurt debated volunteering to sing, but decided against it. He preferred staying with Blaine.

Mercedes and Santana were up first, and he saw Blaine’s mouth fall open when he heard both powerhouses sing. Kurt smiled proudly and clapped hard when the song ended.

Then Puck got out his guitar and chose to sing a love song, which inspired a snide aside from Kurt about Puck’s shaky relationship with Quinn. After Kurt had let the snarky remark slip, he quickly looked at Blaine, but he didn’t seem at all disturbed. Making a mental note to try and curb his vicious tongue around Blaine, who was sweetness itself, he focused on the singing again.

[Puck really threw his heart into the song, and Quinn did seem to appreciate the gesture, a soft smile on her lips and her eyes glowing](http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=13719958). However odd their relationship seemed to Kurt, they truly loved each other, and he found himself smiling and thinking back to their sophomore year, when Beth brought the unlikely couple together.

After Puck, Rachel took to the stage. Kurt expected her to sing at least two solos and then request duet partners, but she surprised him. After only one song, she called Blaine and Jeff onstage and made them sing.

Kurt saw the both of them huddle together, deciding on what song to sing, and a fierce stab of jealousy ripped through him at their obvious closeness. He could see how well those two might have fit together if not for Nick. He could see all too easily how lovable Jeff was, how good-looking, how bubbly and energetic and how talented. And he could see the affection there, from both sides.

[They performed together as one, perfectly complementing one another, their dance steps impeccably synchronised](http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/glee/images/7/79/Jeff_during_Raise_Your_Glass.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20110326154343). It wasn’t a love song - thank heavens for small mercies - but it shook Kurt to the core how much he longed to be the one up there with Blaine instead of Jeff.

And then the song came to an end, and Kurt applauded politely, sending Blaine telepathic vibes to please come join him again, but Blaine missed them completely, tagging along in Jeff’s wake to where Nick was sitting, and plopping down on Nick’s lap with his legs draped over Jeff’s as soon as the two lovebirds were cuddled up together. That made Kurt’s envy flare up brighter than ever.

Really, what was he doing, allowing himself to fall for Blaine, when Blaine clearly wasn’t over Jeff or Nick yet? Berating himself for being such a fool, he went to say goodbye to Tina and Mike, and then sought out Rachel and Finn and told them he was tired and wanted to go home.

Finn agreed readily, yawning hugely himself. Rachel gave Kurt a searching look, but fetched her wrap and accompanied him to the car without asking questions, for which he was grateful.

He’d been in bed for several hours, tossing and turning and not sleeping a wink, when he heard his phone chime several times. Text messages? At this hour?

He grabbed his phone and saw that the messages were from Blaine.

**From: Blaine Anderson**

I really enjoyed talking to you tonight - Blaine

_He did? So maybe there’s hope after all?_

**From: Blaine Anderson**

And your costume ticked all the boxes. You looked gorgeous. - B

_So did he … So gorgeous … *Sigh* Wait … Is he flirting with me?_

**From: Blaine Anderson**

I’m sorry I missed you leaving. I hope we can meet up again sometime. - B

_He wants to see me again? Maybe I read the situation wrong. He did say he liked me. You don’t say that to someone you just want to be friends with. Now I feel a bit silly. Why didn’t I go say goodbye to him? What was I jealous about, anyway? He told me Nick and Jeff are his best friends, so of course, they are close._

**From: Blaine Anderson**

Sweet dreams x - B

_That is definitely flirty, right? I mean, he sent me a text kiss …_

Kurt read the messages about thirty times, his tentative smile growing steadily larger.

Then he started typing a response.

**To: Blaine Anderson**

Shouldn’t you be asleep by now? You’ll be dead on your feet tomorrow … - Kurt

**From Blaine Anderson**

I know. It’s no use going to sleep now; I have to get up in less than two hours - Blaine

**To: Blaine Anderson**

Ouch … How will you be able to teach when you haven’t slept at all? - K

**To: Blaine Anderson**

I had a really good time, too, by the way - K

**To: Blaine Anderson**

It was nice getting to know you better - K

**From: Blaine Anderson**

It was :-) - B

**From: Blaine Anderson**

And don’t worry about school. This morning, my class has their drawing lesson - B

**To: Kurt Hummel**

And then Tina and I will take our classes for a nature walk this afternoon - B

**To: Kurt Hummel**

It was scheduled for last week, but then it kept raining - B

**To: Blaine Anderson**

A nature walk? That sounds nice - K

**To: Kurt Hummel**

Care to join us? - B

**To: Kurt Hummel**

We’ll be collecting leaves and horse chestnuts for handicraft lessons - B

**To: Blaine Anderson**

Would it be okay if I joined you? - K

**To: Blaine Anderson**

You wouldn’t get in trouble with the principal? - K

**To: Kurt Hummel**

Not at all! The more adult chaperones, the better - B

**To: Kurt Hummel**

We’re set to leave at 1 PM - B

**To: Blaine Anderson**

Okay, I’ll be there, if I can find my rubber boots - K

**To: Kurt Hummel**

Yay! See you later! - B

**To: Kurt Hummel**

I’ll let you get some sleep now. Sorry I woke you up. Nighty-night! - B

**To: Blaine Anderson**

I couldn’t sleep, so no harm done. See you this afternoon! - K

Kurt set his alarm for 10 AM, put his phone on the night stand and fell asleep as soon as his head hit his pillow.


	16. Would you?

_You are the poem I never knew how to write and this life is the story I have always wanted to tell._ (Tyler Khott Gregson)

 

Kurt felt a bit groggy when his alarm woke him, but when he remembered what he set it for, his brain jump-started, his mouth curved into a smile and he got out of bed quickly.

Deciding he needed more than just his usual light breakfast if he was going for a nature walk that afternoon, he made himself an egg white omelette with spinach and smoked salmon.

Then he looked for his [green plaid Ralph Lauren Rossalyn rain boots](http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=95643117) and combined them with tight chocolate-brown jeans, a white shirt and a dark green vest, his black winter coat and a scarf that matched his boots.

He took two travel mugs with him and stopped by the Lima Bean for coffee and blueberry muffins - Blaine was going to need a caffeine kick so badly.

He arrived at Hawthorne Elementary School at a quarter to one. When he walked onto the school grounds, he saw Blaine playing with some of the children, showing them soccer moves and even showing off dancing with the soccer ball, balancing it on his head, his shoulders and his knees with an ease and fluidity that made it look effortless. He seemed entirely too energetic for someone who hadn’t slept a wink.

Kurt stood back and enjoyed the show, not in the least distracted by the children shouting, running, fighting and falling around him. He only reluctantly took his eyes off Blaine’s incredible physique and mesmerising movements when Tina noticed his presence and made a beeline for him.

“Kurt! What brings you here?”

Kurt gave her a hug and a cheek kiss, then answered: “Blaine recruited me as a chaperone for your nature walk. Hence the fabulous boots.”

Tina looked at the boots and hummed appreciatively. “They’re lovely. Does that mean that you and Blaine are an item now?”

Kurt bit his lip and felt the blood rush to his cheeks. “Um … We’re … We’re not … quite … there yet, Tina, okay?”

“But you like him?” she pressed.

His head probably resembled a tomato by now, but Kurt managed to nod. “I like him. Very much.”

“Aww,” she squealed. “I just knew it! I knew that as soon as you guys would meet, you’d hit it off spectacularly! I’m so glad for you both.”

Kurt’s cheeks still felt uncomfortably warm, but he chuckled and said: “Thank you.”

“I saw you two talking at my party yesterday. You seemed pretty cosy,” remarked Tina.

Kurt nodded. “He’s easy to talk to, and very sweet.”

“That he is,” sighed Tina. “Mike and I were in a bad place when Blaine started here at Hawthorne as a teacher, and somehow I developed the hugest crush on Blaine, but instead of filing a restraining order against me, he let me down so gently and [became one of my best friends](http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140326175822/glee/images/9/98/LLM8.png), actively helping me fix things with Mike. I’m so grateful to him for that.”

Kurt was astonished. Tina and Mike always seemed such a perfect couple, and he couldn’t imagine them not getting along.

Tina saw his stunned look of disbelief, and sighed. “That was when we’d just moved in together, and Mike’s mother would always come and check on us. Every day. Bringing food, as though I couldn’t cook. Offering to do our laundry, as if I couldn’t manage. And so on and so forth. She meant well, I know she did, but it was very trying. It felt as if she didn’t trust me to take care of her son. And I felt so smothered by her constant attention. So I took it out on Mike, and told him to ask his mother to back off, but he didn’t dare. And we fought about that a lot. And then right at the same time, there was this new guy at school who was so gorgeous and attentive … So I kind of lost my head and crushed on him. Look, I’m not proud of it. Not at all. I’m just saying that Blaine is a sweetheart and that he would be absolutely perfect for you.”

A cheery voice behind them piped up. “Playing matchmaker again, are you, Tina?”

Kurt turned around and saw two women wearing rain coats and rubber boots. The tallest one had long brown hair in a ponytail and mossy green eyes. The other woman had short blonde hair and was sporting a mischievous grin.

“Hey Chelsey, hey Rose,” said Tina. “This is Kurt. Kurt, this is Chelsey Miller, who teaches the second grade. Rose Harlow is our special needs teacher. We share her with two other schools. She’s only at Hawthorne on Mondays and Fridays.”

Kurt shook hands with Chelsey and Rose and murmured a polite “Pleased to meet you”.

The bell rang, signalling the end of the lunch break. The fourth and fifth grade found their teachers and filed indoors, to their classrooms. The first through third grade clustered around Tina, Rose and Chelsey.

“Where’s Blaine?” asked Tina. “It’s time to go!”

One of the children tugged at her sleeve and whispered: “Mr. A wanted to put another shirt on. It had gotten a bit dirty.”

Tina stroked the child’s hair. “Thank you, Lily.”

Then she turned to the entire group and said: “Okay, split up in pairs and queue up, holding hands. And don’t let go of each other’s hand until we’re back at school, you understand. No scampering away on your own. We stay together, so that nobody gets lost.”

“Yes, Ms CeeCee,” chorused the children, and two by two they formed a long line, hands swinging between them.

Blaine hurriedly joined them, muttering an apology for keeping everyone waiting and smiling sunnily at Kurt.

“Okay, children, off we go,” said Tina. “I’ll walk in front of you, Ms Harlow and Ms Miller will walk in the middle, and Mr A and his friend will bring up the rear.”

They all filed out of the school and walked towards the woods.

The children in the rear looked at Kurt curiously. “Who’s your friend, Mr. A?” asked one of them.

Blaine put his arm around Kurt’s waist and said: “This is Mr. Kurt Hummel. I met him this weekend at the book fair.”

“Is he a writer, too?” persisted the same boy.

Blaine looked at Kurt. “I don’t actually know what Mr. H does for a living, Robby. What is it you do, Kurt?”

“I’m a designer,” said Kurt. “I make clothes for men, and accessories like ties and bowties and scarves and belts and occasionally hats.”

“Why only for men?” inquired Robby.

“I’m more used to it,” explained Kurt. “I’ve always made clothes for myself. I do sew dresses sometimes, but I mostly stick to men’s wear, because I find that easier.”

“Are you Mr. A’s boyfriend?” asked Robby.

That was the cue for Kurt’s cheeks to heat up again. “Um, no.” He chanced a quick glance at Blaine, who looked crestfallen and let go of his waist, and quickly added: “Not yet, at any rate.”

He felt Blaine grab his right hand and entwine their fingers.

“But you would like to be?” continued Robby.

Kurt blushed fiercely and admitted: “Yes. Yes, I would.”

“Mr. A, you should ask him,” advised Robby.

Blaine chuckled. “Kurt?”

“Yes?” It sounded incredibly high-pitched. _Keep it together, Hummel_.

“Would you please be my boyfriend?”

Kurt looked at Blaine and smiled shyly. “I’d love to.”


	17. I Would

“ _It was weird. It was like he smiled at me, and my lips automatically smiled back—my brain had nothing to do with it. There was no conscious decision on my part to smile back._

 _I just did. Like it was a habit, or something. Like this was a smile I always smiled back to._ ” (Meg Cabot, _Avalon High_ )

Blaine rubbed the back of his hand over his eyes tiredly. It was nearly twelve o’clock, and his class had just exited to go to lunch. It was Blaine’s turn to supervise the playground, so he quickly gobbled down a sandwich with ham and cheese and one with peanut butter and jelly, washed it down with some water and made his way to the playground.

About an hour later, the bell rang. Blaine, panting and sweating profusely, high-fived the fifth-graders he’d been playing soccer with and turned to Tina with the thought of asking her to look after his third-graders for five more minutes while he freshened up.

His stomach plummeted when he saw not only Chelsey and Rose, but also Kurt with her. He immediately panicked. The nature walk! He’d totally forgotten about that! He’d invited Kurt! And Kurt had shown up, impeccably dressed and coiffed, and there Blaine was, sweaty and disgusting and his hair probably totally out of control.

He turned to Lily, one of Tina’s first-graders: “Lily, sweetie, could you tell Ms CeeCee I’ll be right there, please? I need to put another shirt on, this one’s a bit dirty now.”

Lily nodded obediently and trotted off to Tina to deliver the message.

He ran to his classroom, dried himself off with a towel, spritzed some deodorant on, rummaged in his bag for his spare shirt and put it on quickly. He patted his hair, feeling wayward curls escaping, and sighed in defeat. Nothing to be done about that, unfortunately.

Blaine sprinted back to the playground, full of apologies for keeping everyone waiting. When he saw Kurt grinning at him, his mouth instantly curved into a wide smile. Kurt looked amazing. He managed to turn even rain boots into a fashion statement. The boots had a plaid pattern and a glossy finish, and matched his scarf. He seemed to have stepped straight out of Vogue magazine.

“Okay, children, off we go,” said Tina. “I’ll walk in front of you, Ms Harlow and Ms Miller will walk in the middle, and Mr A and his friend will bring up the rear.”

_That’s good. Fewer curious eyes._

Blaine’s class hung back to stay in the rear with him, and they all filed out of the school and walked towards the woods.

Blaine could see his third-graders sneaking peeks at Kurt, clearly burning with curiosity. After a short while, Robby couldn’t keep it in any longer and he asked: “Who’s your friend, Mr. A?”

Blaine let his arm slide around Kurt’s waist and answered: “This is Mr. Kurt Hummel. I met him this weekend at the book fair.”

“Is he a writer, too?” continued Robby.

_Oh joy, we’re in for a full inquiry. I just hope none of Robby’s questions will be embarrassing. This one, I don’t mind, because I’d like to know the answer myself._

Blaine looked at Kurt. “I don’t actually know what Mr. H does for a living, Robby. What is it you do, Kurt?”

“I’m a designer,” said Kurt. “I make clothes for men, and accessories like ties and bowties and scarves and belts and occasionally hats.”

_Oh, no wonder he’s always so stylishly dressed. Now I feel even worse about this rumpled emergency shirt and my wild hair._

“Why only for men?” was Robby’s follow-up question.

“I’m more used to it,” explained Kurt. “I’ve always made clothes for myself. I do sew dresses sometimes, but I mostly stick to men’s wear, because I find that easier.”

_I wonder what the name of his label is. Maybe I even own clothes or accessories made by him._

“Are you Mr. A’s boyfriend?” asked Robby.

_Uh-oh, what’s Kurt going to say now? Should I tell Robby to leave Kurt alone?_

Kurt’s cheeks went pink and he looked decidedly uncomfortable. “Um, no.”

That hit Blaine like a ton of bricks. _No? He doesn’t want to be with me?_

He dropped his arm and gave Kurt his space.

Kurt looked at him them, and with a cheeky half-smile he added: “Not yet, at any rate.”

Blaine’s heart soared and he smiled hugely. _That’s better!_

He grabbed Kurt’s hand and entwined their fingers.

“But you would like to be?” pressed Robby.

Kurt’s blush deepened, and Blaine held his breath. _Please say yes. Please say yes._

Then Kurt answered: “Yes. Yes, I would.”

And Blaine felt like doing somersaults, punching the air with both fists and dancing a victory jig. But Robby wasn’t done talking.

“Mr. A, you should ask him,” he advised.

_Okay, I don’t think I’ll ever get a better opening than that. Thank you, Robby, I owe you for this one._

Blaine chuckled. “Kurt?”

“Yes?” squeaked Kurt.

He pulled Kurt to a halt and took Kurt’s hand in both of his.

“Would you please be my boyfriend?” he continued. _Please say yes. Please say yes._

Kurt was still blushing slightly, but a slow smile broke across his face, lighting up his eyes. “I’d love to.”

_Yes, yes, yes! I really want to kiss you now. Shall I?_

Blaine moved a little closer, losing himself in Kurt’s stormy sea eyes.

“Mr. A, we have to keep walking,” admonished Deirdre. “Look, we need to catch up with the others.”

Blaine couldn’t care less about staying with the others at the moment, but winked at Kurt, telegraphing “ _Later_!” with his eyes. They both laughed giddily and started walking again, picking up their pace, their joined hands swinging between them and a new spring in their step.

In the woods, the children filled their bags and pockets with red and yellow leaves and glossy horse chestnuts.

Chelsey pointed out various types of mushrooms, and tore the cap off an example of the edible variety to show the gills and spores.

Blaine took out a tape measure and let his class [measure the circumference of the trees](http://lilyvandersteen.tumblr.com/post/108426674649/weave-your-magic-chapter-17-i-would-picture-1) with it, telling them that the measurement of the circumference in inches was often also the approximate age of the tree in years.

Tina distributed some paint sample cards to her first-graders and told them to look for nature items that had the same colour as their card.

Towards 3 PM, they returned to the school, the children chattering excitedly, tired but content.

“I brought you coffee, actually,” said Kurt. “I meant to give it to you during your lunch break, but you were playing soccer, and I didn’t want to disturb you. It’s in a travel mug, so it should still be hot. I have muffins, too.”

“That sounds lovely,” sighed Blaine, stifling a huge yawn. “My lack of sleep is catching up with me now. I think I could crawl into bed right this minute and sleep until tomorrow morning.”

“What’s stopping you?” asked Kurt.

Blaine looked at him, surprised. “Well, you’re here and I want to spend time with you, of course.”

“But you’re exhausted,” countered Kurt. “And you have another full school day tomorrow.”

“So you could come with me to my place,” Blaine suggested, “and we could make and eat an early supper together, and then I’ll send you on your way. How’s that?”

“Okay, I’m in!” agreed Kurt.


	18. Close Your Eyes and I'll Kiss You

“ _At her first kiss I felt something melt inside me that hurt in an exquisite way. All my longings, all my dreams and sweet anguish, all the secrets that slept deep within me came awake, everything was transformed and enchanted, everything made sense._ ” (Herman Hesse, Narcissus and Goldmund: A Novel)

Blaine went to fetch his bag in his classroom, waved at the other teachers and the children that hadn’t been picked up by their parents yet, took Kurt’s hand again and walked with him to Kurt’s car.

“I live just a few streets away from here,” Blaine explained, “so I always walk to school. Maybe you could just leave your car here. I don’t know if there will be an available parking spot in my street.”

“Let me just grab the coffee and the muffins,” said Kurt, and he took them out of the car.

[They walked to Blaine’s apartment building slowly, sipping their coffee and nibbling their muffin](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c1/0c/51/c10c5134224c37fb5f93913820f24346.jpg). 

Once inside, Blaine checked the contents of his fridge, and suggested making a simple pasta dish. He turned on the radio, and soon they were standing next to each other chopping onions, scallions, garlic, bell peppers, carrots and zucchini. They worked in companionable silence, occasionally singing along with a song on the radio.

As soon the minced meat was browned and the onions softened, they added the rest of the vegetables and half a litre of tomato passata. Blaine then went to his terrace, where he grew a collection of kitchen herbs in pots, to snip off a few laurel leaves as well as some lemon thyme, rosemary and lovage. He washed and shredded the herbs and stirred them into the sauce, adding some curcuma for good measure.

Kurt put the lid on the pan and reduced the heat.

“Now we need to let it simmer for at least three quarters of an hour,” Blaine said. “Want to watch some television in the meantime?”

They settled down on the sofa and zapped through channels, stopping at an episode of Hoarders, both of them confessing that they loved reality shows, and the tackier the shows were, the better they liked them.

Blaine tried to pay attention and keep up a conversation, but his eyes kept drooping shut, and once he started yawning, he really couldn’t stop.

Kurt chuckled. “You’re like Toby when he insists he’s not tired at all and wants to stay up.”

That woke Blaine up a little. “Hey,” he mock-protested, “are you saying I behave like a five-year-old?”

He crept a bit closer. _I bet he’s ticklish. A child, am I? I’ll give you a child!_

“Sometimes,” nodded Kurt, “sometimes you do … hey! No! No, no, no! Stop it!”

Kurt flailed his arms around wildly, shrieking and giggling. “Not fair! Stop it!”

Blaine took both of Kurt’s wrists and kept them above his head with one hand, tickling mercilessly with the other.

Kurt squirmed every which way, laughing helplessly until tears ran down his cheeks. “Don’t! Don’t! Please stop!”

“Say ‘uncle’,” commanded Blaine, continuing his onslaught.

“Uncle! Uncle! I give!” panted Kurt.

Blaine laughed exultantly and stopped tickling. Kurt stilled and looked up at him, his chest heaving, his hair in disarray, his cheeks pink and showing tear tracks and his eyes huge and dark. To Blaine, he had never looked more beautiful.

Blaine softly brushed a hand over Kurt’s cheek, his thumb wiping away the wetness there.

Kurt shivered slightly under the touch and closed his eyes, smiling.

Blaine slowly lowered his upper body until he hovered right above Kurt, feeling his body heat but not quite touching him, and gently, oh so gently pressed his lips to Kurt’s nose.

Kurt’s eyes flew open and his smile grew wider.

Blaine returned the smile, and then kissed Kurt’s forehead. He trailed a series of feather-light pecks from Kurt’s right temple to his chin. Then he turned to the left side, gently grazing Kurt’s earlobe and traveling down the column of his neck.

[Kurt let out a sweet sigh and let his head fall back, exposing his neck even more](http://24.media.tumblr.com/c018e0c524df77893e56a702bd76eb41/tumblr_n3f76le4Y71sr0bwgo7_250.gif).

Blaine marvelled at the softness of the creamy skin and took care not to mar its flawlessness with his five o’clock shadow.

When he’d mapped out the neck thoroughly, he cupped Kurt’s face and leaned in, their foreheads touching, their breath mingling and a faint scent of roses assailing his nostrils - Kurt’s body wash?

[And then they moved towards one another, their lips meeting at last, and it was pure bliss](http://33.media.tumblr.com/598d7165371a90f81899992ad8de6097/tumblr_inline_n3tfhzdItJ1qzmshs.gif). Kurt’s lips were silky soft and smooth, and touching them thrilled Blaine to the core and filled him with a feeling of rightness and a sense of belonging.

They both turned on their side, facing each other and gazing deep into the other’s eyes, reverent and awestruck.

Kurt hesitantly reached out and trailed his fingers along Blaine’s face, soft and lingering. He stroked Blaine’s hair at the nape of his neck and tugged at one of his curls. Blaine moaned in ecstasy - _ah, how I love it when somebody touches my hair_ \- and that seemed to spur on Kurt, who threaded his fingers through Blaine’s curls, gently massaging his scalp.

Blaine tried biting back the sounds, but he couldn’t keep from moaning because that felt so good.

“I take it you like having your head rubbed,” remarked Kurt, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

“Mmm … Please don’t stop,” slurred Blaine drowsily.

“Weren’t we supposed to eat pasta?” asked Kurt. “I’ll first put the pasta to boil and check on the sauce, I’ll be right back.”

“Hmm …” acquiesced Blaine, eyes drooping shut again, and he felt Kurt get up and head to the kitchen.

He liked how at home Kurt seemed to feel in his apartment, cluttering in the kitchen to find the pasta and a pot to boil it in. It felt right, and homey, and wonderful, and it immediately made his mind jump to pictures of Kurt and him living together. Staring at a crack in the ceiling, he imagined them waking up next to one another, brushing their teeth together, making breakfast, going grocery shopping, redecorating the living room …

Somewhere in between the two of them picking out a beautiful antique mirror and Blaine surprising Kurt with breakfast in bed, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

**Author’s Note:**

**A reviewer asked me to add the recipe for the pasta sauce to this chapter, so as to “let us all try it”. So here it is … Enjoy!**

**Blaine’s Pasta Sauce**

** Ingredients: **

**2 tablespoons of olive oil**

**500 g minced meat (preferably a combination of beef and pork)**

**500 ml tomato passata (or a 400 g tin of tomato cubes or whole peeled tomatoes)**

**a tin of tomato concentrate (just for the colour of the sauce, really)**

**1 big onion**

**1 shallot**

**2 cloves of garlic**

**500 g carrots (or thereabouts, I usually throw in four big carrots)**

**1 bell pepper (yellow, orange or red) and 2 zucchini or the reverse (2 bell peppers and 1 zucchini)**

**2 laurel leaves (fresh or dried)**

**1 tablespoon of curcuma**

**If you have fresh herbs: a few sprigs of (lemon) thyme, rosemary and lovage, shredded, or**

**If you only have dried herbs: 2 tablespoons of dried “Herbes de Provence”**

** Preparation: **

  1. **Finely chop the onion, the shallot and the garlic cloves. Take out the biggest pan you have. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in the pan. Add the onion, shallot and garlic and sauté until everything is translucent and tender. Push it to the side to make room for the meat.**
  2. **Put the minced meat in, break it up with your spoon into small bits and let it brown.**
  3. **Finely chop the rest of the vegetables. Put them into the pan.**
  4. **Add the tomato passata/tomato cubes/tinned tomatoes and the tomato concentrate and stir it in.**
  5. **Add all the herbs and stir them in.**
  6. **Put the lid on the pan and let simmer for about three quarters of an hour.**
  7. **Bring salted water to boil and boil pasta.**



**Serve with grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy your meal!**


	19. Hold Me Close

“ _It wasn't that long, and it certainly wasn't the kind of kiss you see in movies these days, but it was wonderful in its own way, and all I can remember about the moment is that when our lips touched, I knew the memory would last forever_.” (Nicholas Sparks, _A Walk to Remember_ )

Kurt really thought Blaine was going to kiss him right then and there, in front of his class. His eyes had gone so dark and he was leaning in, but then one of the children told Blaine to keep walking and catch up with the others, and the moment was gone.

Blaine winked at Kurt and they both laughed happily and started walking again, a bit faster now, keeping their hands linked.

When they caught up with the others, Tina noticed they were holding hands and sent Kurt an inquiring look. He flushed slightly but beamed at her, and she smiled back approvingly.

Towards 3 PM, they returned to the school, the children chattering up a storm, one of them claiming Blaine’s other hand.

_One day, that might be us as a family. I love my niece and nephew, but it would be so wonderful to have children of my own, to spoil and to take care of. Speaking of … Don’t forget about the coffee!_

“I brought you coffee, actually,” said Kurt. “I meant to give it to you during your lunch break, but you were playing soccer, and I didn’t want to disturb you. It’s in a travel mug, so it should still be hot. I have muffins, too.”

“That sounds lovely,” sighed Blaine, who seemed to be fighting a yawn. “My lack of sleep is catching up with me now. I think I could crawl into bed right this minute and sleep until tomorrow morning.”

“What’s stopping you?” asked Kurt. _I love being here with you, but you clearly need sleep_.

Blaine seemed almost shocked to hear Kurt say that. “Well, you’re here and I want to spend time with you, of course.”

_Of course … And I’m so glad you do, sweetie. It’s just …_

“But you’re exhausted,” insisted Kurt. “And you have another full school day tomorrow.”

 _Not to mention that I haven’t gotten any work done today, so I had better head home and put in some hours_.

“So you could come with me to my place,” Blaine suggested, “and we could make and eat an early supper together, and then I’ll send you on your way. How’s that?”

_Or I could do that, of course._

“Okay, I’m in!” agreed Kurt.

Blaine went to fetch his bag in his classroom, and then walked Kurt to his car.

“I live just a few streets away from here,” Blaine explained, “so I always walk to school. Maybe you could just leave your car here. I don’t know if there will be an available parking spot in my street.”

“Let me just grab the coffee and the muffins,” said Kurt, taking them out of the car and offering Blaine a travel mug and a muffin.

They walked at a leisurely pace, enjoying their afternoon coffee and snack.

Blaine lived in a small apartment building, on the second floor. The first thing Kurt noticed was the light. [The living room had huge windows, from the ceiling to the floor](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ElbWufOsmeI/TyPyy7I7PTI/AAAAAAAARx4/uH1Qy0qidxw/s1600/selldorf+architects+east+village+townhouse+apartment+new+york+city+living+room+modern+cococozy+floor+to+ceiling+paned+windows+loft+high+ceilings.JPG), and it was as clear as day inside without having to put any lights on.

His second observation was that Blaine was very neat. There were no dirty dishes in the sink of the open kitchen, there were no smelly socks on or under the sofa, there were no empty pizza boxes or snack wrappers or beer cans on the coffee table. Of course, unlike Finn and Puck, whose houses Kurt always expected to be in this sorry state, Blaine was gay, so maybe he was just as much of a neat freak as Kurt himself.

Blaine went straight to the kitchen and checked his fridge for ingredients for supper. He suggested a pasta dish, and when Kurt nodded, he took out lots of vegetables and minced meat. They worked side by side prepping the vegetables, listening to the radio. When “Words of Love” came on, they both sang along:

“Hold me close and tell me how you feel

Tell me love is real

Words of love you whisper soft and true

Darling I love you

 

Let me hear you say the words I long to hear

Darling when you're near

Words of love you whisper soft and true

Darling I love you”

When the sauce was simmering away and there was nothing more to do than wait for it to be ready, Blaine suggested watching some television. They settled down on the sofa to watch Hoarders. Kurt was happy to learn that Blaine shared his love of reality shows. He liked the fact that they had so much in common, that was very promising.

Kurt enjoyed the Hoarders episode and commented throughout. Blaine, however, was clearly fighting sleep with all his might but losing the battle. His eyes kept drooping shut, and one yawn followed another.

Kurt chuckled. “You’re like Toby when he insists he’s not tired at all and wants to stay up.”

_And it’s really adorable._

Blaine looked affronted. “Hey,” he pouted, “are you saying I behave like a five-year-old?”

“Sometimes,” nodded Kurt, “sometimes you do …” And then he completely forgot what he was going to say when Blaine pounced on him with a tickle attack.

“Hey! No! No, no, no! Stop it!” he protested, swatting Blaine on the shoulder, who reacted by tickling him harder.

In between his shrieks of laughter and uncontrollable giggles, Kurt managed to pant: “Not fair! Stop it!”

Blaine took no notice of that, but, carefully avoiding Kurt’s flailing arms and legs, he took both of Kurt’s wrists and kept them above his head with one hand, continuing his assault with the other.

Kurt contorted his body in shapes that would have made his yoga teacher proud, but didn’t manage to escape the cruel fingers prodding him.

“Don’t! Don’t! Please stop!” he pleaded.

“Say ‘uncle’,” commanded Blaine.

“Uncle! Uncle! I give!” panted Kurt.

_Anything, anything, but please stop tickling me!_

Blaine laughed triumphantly and let up.

Kurt sagged a little onto the sofa and stared at Blaine. His hair was a riot of curls that Kurt was itching to get his hands into. His mischievous expression made Kurt smile involuntarily, and his closeness made Kurt want as he had never wanted before.

Blaine’s laughter faded as he gazed right back at Kurt, his eyes growing darker. He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down, and his lips parting slightly. Then he reached out and ran a hand over Kurt’s cheek, wiping away the moisture there. The tenderness and intimacy of the gesture stunned Kurt. His breath hitched, a shiver ran down his spine and unconsciously, he closed his eyes and smiled.

He felt Blaine moving closer until he was on top of Kurt without really touching him. His breath washed over Kurt’s face and smelled like coffee. And then Kurt felt Blaine’s lips on the tip of his nose, and that was both so sweet and so unexpected that his eyes flew open and his smile stretched as far as his lips would go.

Blaine smiled back and pressed a kiss to Kurt’s forehead, then turned to his temple to continue his exploration down to Kurt’s chin, his lips barely touching Kurt’s skin but leaving a trail of tingling nerves in their wake. Next, he turned to Kurt’s earlobe, taking it gently between his teeth, and Kurt moaned softly.

_Don’t stop! Please don’t ever stop!_

Blaine moved to Kurt’s neck now, and aaah … That felt so good. Kurt let his head fall back, revelling in the new sensations and wanting more, more, more.

When Blaine pulled away, Kurt whined softly. He felt Blaine cradle his cheeks and lean in. Their foreheads touched, and he could feel Blaine’s breath on his lips.

_Kiss me. Please kiss me. I want you so much._

Kurt reached for Blaine’s mouth just as Blaine moved towards his. Their lips met and Kurt threw his arms around Blaine’s neck, pulling him closer, never wanting this perfect moment to end. It sent all his senses in overdrive, luxuriating in the satiny feel of Blaine’s lips, the spicy scent of his cologne, the content low rumble that built up in his throat and his thick long lashes half hiding his mesmerising eyes. His heart was racing, his nerve endings tingling and his breath coming in gasps.

They both turned on their side, facing each other. Kurt drank in the sight of Blaine so close to him, his eyes wide and glowing and his mouth curving up into a wondering smile.

_I want to touch you._

Kurt hesitantly reached out and mapped out the planes of Blaine’s face. His cheeks and chin were stubbly. He stroked Blaine’s hair at the nape of his neck, marvelling at the beauty and the softness of his curls. Would they spring back if you tugged at them? Yes, they did.

Blaine moaned encouragingly, and Kurt threw caution to the wind and gave in to the desire he’d felt since he’d first noticed Blaine’s luscious curls. He threaded his fingers through them and softly scraped his fingers over Blaine’s scalp in circular movements.

Blaine seemed to really enjoy the head rub. His eyes fluttered closed and his moaning increased in volume.

“I take it you like having your head rubbed,” teased Kurt.

“Mmm … Please don’t stop,” slurred Blaine drowsily. He seemed half asleep already.

_He’s so tired. I had better get supper finished, so that we can eat and he can go to bed soon after._

“Weren’t we supposed to eat pasta?” asked Kurt. “I’ll first put the pasta to boil and check on the sauce, I’ll be right back.”

_Sorry, sweetie, I’ll give you a thorough head rub some other time, okay?_

“Hmm …” hummed Blaine, his eyes closed.

Kurt went through the kitchen cabinets and found the pasta and a pot to boil it in. He lifted the lid of the sauce pan and picked out a carrot to check whether it had softened enough. It had, so he turned the heat off. As soon as the salty water boiled, he put in the pasta and set the kitchen timer, and a few minutes later, supper was ready to be dished out.

“Blaine? Come and have supper!” Kurt called.

He got no answer, and went to the sofa. He smiled tenderly at the scene that greeted him there.

[Blaine was fast asleep](https://deconstructingglee.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/screenshot-glee-s04e13-720p-hdtv-x264-dimension-mkv-8.png), his hand tucked under his cheek and a small smile playing on his lips. He looked unbelievably gorgeous like this, and much younger than his years. The child he had been was there in his smooth face, and Kurt itched to hold him tight and kiss him again.

He did neither. He took an afghan off the back of the sofa and draped it carefully over Blaine, tucking him in. He kissed Blaine softly on the forehead, and then went back to the kitchen.

He didn’t think Blaine would mind if he ate some of the pasta, so he ate his fill and did the dishes. Then he filled the sink with cold water to cool off the pan with pasta sauce quickly, and put the rest of the food in the fridge.

Looking for a piece of paper and a pen, he went to the computer desk in the corner. Next to Blaine’s laptop, there was an open sketch pad and the sketch that met Kurt’s eyes took his breath away. [It showed Kurt and Blaine in bed together, with two little children between them, a boy with Kurt’s hair and colouring, and a curly head that seemed to favour Blaine](http://41.media.tumblr.com/6cf984e428322048c669f607ae9f988a/tumblr_mfv10qeV7k1r5fs5bo1_1280.jpg).

That vision of the future was so beautiful and perfect that it stabbed Kurt’s heart with a sharp pang of longing.

Shaking it off, he grabbed a post-it note and quickly jotted down a message. He stuck the note onto Blaine’s computer screen and went to fetch his coat.

He allowed himself one last look at his sleeping boyfriend and then left the apartment, softly closing the door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note:  
> The song I'm referring to in this chapter is "Words of Love" by Buddy Holly (here in The Beatles' version)  
> The sketch I'm referring to is a beautiful drawing by CBM, aka Pencilpushingenthusiast on Tumblr, posted in 2012 (around New Year). The other CBM sketches are all well worth checking out as well, they're all equally wonderful.


	20. Inspiration

“ _Oh. Well, that explains everything. Amateurs should never design their own dresses. And certainly not their own_ wedding dress.” (Meg Cabot, _Queen of Babble_ )

Kurt snipped off a loose thread and held up the garment for inspection. He’d remembered the Fuller-Keller wedding and the 11 AM fitting scheduled on Tuesday on his way home from Westerville, and he had immediately panicked.

Luckily, he liked to keep on top of things and the suits for the groom, the best man and the groomsmen were completely finished already. All that remained was the outfit for the ring bearer, a cheeky but cherubic six-year-old with blonde curls and chocolate eyes. He’d planned on sewing the miniature suit during the weekend and tweaking all of the outfits on Monday, but he hadn’t gotten any work done in four days. Four days!

It wasn’t like him to neglect his work. He was a perfectionist and - he wasn’t afraid to admit it - a true workaholic. He loved designing and sewing new creations. Seeing his vision come to life never ceased to thrill him, and though he made enough money to hire seamstresses and shop clerks and expand his business, he chose not to.

He preferred to keep his label small, and to do everything himself. His customers seemed to like how exclusive “Hummingbird by KEH” was, and didn’t mind his waiting list one bit. They knew they would eventually get a perfectly tailored, lovingly handmade one-of-a-kind suit that matched their complexion and made their eyes pop.

The suits for this wedding were not all in the same colour, and the detailing was different for each one, but every suit would complement the others admirably. The groom and his men would look very distinguished on their own and as a group.

He’d been cutting and sewing like a fiend non-stop since he’d arrived home, and he praised himself lucky that the wedding was actually on Saturday, which gave him a few more days for adjusting and perfecting the suits.

Now, it was three in the morning and the ring bearer suit was finally done. He sighed and wearily trudged to bed. Just this once, he’d skip his skincare regimen. Sleep was more important.

K&B

When Kurt woke up the next morning, he immediately reached for his laptop. In his sleep, he’d dreamt up the perfect principal character to solve his latest murder mystery. And maybe, just maybe, he’d finally found that detective figure his publishers had been bugging him about. The one that would stick around for many more books to come. The one that was relatable, a bit quirky and definitely a lot more fleshed out than his detectives usually were.

He quickly jotted down a character description, not deciding on the name yet, that would come later. But seeing as his new creation resembled Blaine, perhaps his name could be similar, too. A tribute to Blaine, for being Kurt’s inspiration. A Scandinavian-sounding last name, and the first name could be … Hm, maybe Blaine had more than one given name and he could use one of the spares. Making a mental note to ask Blaine if he had a middle name, Kurt got up and quickly showered, dressed and breakfasted.

He was working on a detail on the ring bearer’s vest when the shop door opened with a ping of the bell. The wedding party had arrived.

Kurt shook hands all around and did a double-take when he realised one of the party was Jeff, Blaine’s colleague and former crush.

“Jeff!” he exclaimed.

“Hey Kurt,” smiled Jeff.

“Are you one of the groomsmen, too?” asked Kurt apprehensively. “You weren’t there last time, when I took all the measurements.”

“No, no, don’t worry,” Jeff hurried to reassure him. “I’m just bringing little Ian here, seeing as his dad couldn’t make it, and none of the groomsmen wants to look after 'Ian the Imp'. He’s a menace, always full of mischief. But seeing as he’s my sister’s boy and I’ve babysat him since he was in diapers, I’ve got his number. I’ll see to it that he doesn’t destroy your shop nor any of these fancy clothes.”

“Thank you,” breathed Kurt in relief. “Let’s focus on Ian’s suit first, so that the both of you can leave as soon as Ian’s fitting is over. Okay?”

“Okay,” grinned Jeff, his nephew mirroring his grin.

Kurt got to work, and half an hour later, Ian and Jeff skipped out of the shop happily. Ian’s behaviour had been exemplary, yet Kurt exhaled shakily and felt better as soon as he’d left. The last thing he needed was ruined outfits he’d have to make all over again.

The afternoon passed quickly, with Kurt making adjustments to the suits for the wedding party and, during his coffee break, sketching an[ outfit in burgundy and pearl grey](http://hitchedukst.s3.amazonaws.com/Fashion/Groomswear/images/7_196_188623.jpg), and a whimsical [black-and-white bow tie ](http://d21fsbehgrfqf3.cloudfront.net/product/1024/APEA-SMITH.03.jpg)with a psychedelic pattern to go with it. He’d absent-mindedly added dark curls to the figure’s head before he even realised. 

After his break, he took to boxing up orders and stacking the packages in a neat pile at the front door, ready for the UPS man to pick them up the next day. Then he ordered new fabrics and other supplies and settled his invoices.

When he finally called it a day at 9 PM, quickly heating a portion of bouillabaisse he found in his freezer and eating it with toasted French bread and rouille, he checked his phone and saw that he had over a dozen missed phone calls. Blaine had tried to reach him three times, but the other calls were from an unknown number. Always the same one.

Should he call back? Or would it be hate calls from a homophobe again? But why would someone call him eleven times (eleven!) to insult him? He decided to check his texts first, to see whether those could shed some light on the calls.

**From Blaine Anderson:**

Morning sunshine! Sorry I fell asleep on you yesterday.

**From Blaine Anderson:**

And of course it was okay for you to eat the dinner we made.

**From Blaine Anderson**

Last afternoon was magical.

**From Blaine Anderson**

I love spending time with you.

**From Blaine Anderson**

When can I see you again?

**From Blaine Anderson**

Kurt?

Uh-oh. He hadn’t checked his phone all day, not wanting to be distracted from work and spend the day texting Blaine. Now he regretted that decision. Blaine was probably feeling very neglected right now. His last text was sent at 3.15 PM.

He quickly answered:

**To Blaine Anderson**

Sorry, I’ve been working non-stop all day and haven’t checked my phone.

**To Blaine Anderson**

So much to do after four days of slacking off.

**To Blaine Anderson**

So could we please schedule our next date sometime this weekend?

**To Blaine Anderson**

I miss you, though. Maybe we could Skype sometime this week?

He scrolled down and saw that he had quite a few texts from an unknown number, which turned out to be Jeff’s.

**From Jeff Sterling**

Hey Kurt, this is Jeff. Blaine gave me your number.

**From Jeff Sterling**

Sorry to bug you, but I have something to ask you.

**From Jeff Sterling**

This wedding you’re making suits for? The bride is my brother-in-law’s sister.

**From Jeff Sterling**

Youngest of the family, so really spoilt.

**From Jeff Sterling**

Designed her wedding dress herself, had it made in Paris.

**From Jeff Sterling**

It arrived today, and it’s hideous.

**From Jeff Sterling**

So she’s trying to get a hold of you, in the hope you could save the dress.

**From Jeff Sterling**

Only you’re not answering the phone. Please consider it?

**From Jeff Sterling**

You can ask me anything you want in return. And I’m Blaine’s bestie, so … ;-)

Huh. Salvage a wedding dress and turn it into a masterpiece in just three days? That sounded like a challenge. And that was putting it mildly. But if he pulled it off, it would be quite a feat. And both the Keller and the Fuller family were very rich and influential, so it would be good for business.

Not to mention he was intrigued. What would the dress look like? How could he make it look fabulous and make the bride look stunning? His brain was suddenly overrun with ideas. But first things first. He needed to call the bride, ask her to mail him photos of the dress from all angles so that he could brainstorm and sketch, and then he needed the dress in his workroom as soon as possible, so that he could start revamping it.

Why did he get the impression that there were more sleepless nights in store for him? And why did that prospect make him grin like a Cheshire cat?


	21. Tell Us All About It

“ _I’m humming as I make my way to work the next morning._

_I can’t help it. It’s a gorgeous spring morning. The sky overhead is achingly blue, the birds are singing, the weather is warm, the flowers are blooming, and the drug dealers are out in full force, happily toting their wares. Let’s face it, there’s a lot to hum about. I’m happy—actually genuinely, one hundred percent happy—for the first time in—well, forever._

_And not because I’m full of a high-calorie confection from the nearby coffee shop, either. But because I’m full of love._

_Cloyingly sweet? Disgustingly trite? I know. I can’t help it though_.” (Meg Cabot, _Big Boned_ )

Blaine’s alarm clock went off. It sounded strangely far away and muted. After a few moments, though, the sound became so annoying that Blaine blindly reached to silence it, but his hand encountered no alarm clock and no bedside table. He reached further, lost his balance and crashed onto the floor.

He shook his head groggily and sat up, blinking in surprise. What was he doing sleeping on the sofa in the living room? Ouch, his neck was stiff.

And then he remembered. He’d brought Kurt here after the nature walk. They had made pasta sauce together. They had watched Hoarders. They had kissed, and it was glorious. Kurt had given him a head rub, and he’d closed his eyes and enjoyed every minute of it.

He couldn’t remember anything after that, so he supposed he must have fallen asleep. Not the best impression you could make on your brand-new boyfriend. Ah well …

Kurt must have tucked him in, he realised. An afghan was still firmly wrapped around his legs and torso, and it had kept him toasty warm all night.

He divested himself of the afghan, folded it in two and hung it back over the sofa. Then he stretched himself, popping the kinks in his neck, back and arms, and slouched to the kitchen. Coffee. He needed coffee.

He veered off-track when the insistent noise of his alarm clock broke through his stupor again, and went to his bedroom first, to switch the irritating thing off.

On his way back to the kitchen, his eye was drawn to a yellow Post-it stuck to his laptop screen. From Kurt, no doubt!

The note said:

_Dear Blaine,_

_You fell asleep and I really don’t want to wake you up, you need your rest! I hope you don’t mind, but I ate some of the pasta dish we made together. It was really yummy, by the way. You will find the rest of it in the fridge._

_I had a really great time with you this afternoon. It’s good that I can go home early, though, I really need to get some work done. I’ve been skiving off since Friday!_

_Miss you already …_

_Love,_

_Kurt xxx_

Blaine smiled. He’d liked the fact that Kurt had dropped everything on Monday to spend the afternoon with him. And what a lovely afternoon it had been! Kurt was his boyfriend now! They had kissed! It was everything he’d been dreaming of for years, and he couldn’t be happier.

He found his cell phone and sent two texts to Kurt.

**To Kurt Hummel:**

Morning sunshine! Sorry I fell asleep on you yesterday.

**To Kurt Hummel:**

And of course it was okay for you to eat the dinner we made.

He didn’t get an immediate response, so he put his cell phone in his bag and showered, got dressed, made himself some blueberry pancakes and then walked to school, humming the whole time.

After a lesson about the seasons, talking about the cycle of plants growing and bearing fruit and dying and then sprouting again in spring, and more in particular about why tree leaves change colours in fall, the children made a fall leaf wreath to take home and hang on their front door.

At noon, Blaine headed to the teachers’ room with his sandwiches. Tina was there already, and it was clear that she was dying to know what was going on between Blaine and Kurt. [She made a beeline for him, steered him to a table, plumped into a chair and ordered: “Spill!”](http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130211202544/es-glee/es/images/4/4c/Tina-and-blaine-tina-cohen-chang-33486593-500-584.jpg)

Blaine chuckled. “Can I at least eat my sandwiches first?”

Chelsey joined them at their table, and she and Tina said in unison and very firmly: “No.”

Chelsey took Blaine’s hand and squeezed it excitedly, bouncing up and down in her chair. “You know you want to talk about it. Come on, Blaine, give us details, please. You can’t just turn up out of the blue with a yummy stranger and hold hands with him and everything, and then leave us guessing. Who is this Kurt? When and where did you meet him? Is he your boyfriend? Have you guys kissed yet? Have you had sex yet? Tell us all about it, come on!”

Blaine grinned widely. “Okay, okay. Actually, Tina has known Kurt for much longer than I have, so for more in-depth information, you’ll have to pump her. Anyway, I met Kurt at the book fair last Friday. Tina introduced us. And then Kurt forgot his phone at the fair and I found it, and he came to pick it up on Saturday, and I kind of invited him to Tina’s Halloween party on Sunday. He came to the party, and we talked for hours, and it was wonderful. And then I invited him to come along on our nature walk, and Robby was being nosy, as usual, and asked all sorts of questions, among others if Kurt was my boyfriend, and he said ‘Not yet’, so I asked him. So yes, we’re boyfriends now. And yes, we’ve kissed. No more than that, though, Chelsey. We’re taking it slow.”

Tina and Chelsey both squealed.

“I’m so happy for you both,” said Tina. “Seriously, I’ve been meaning to introduce you for years, but neither of you is very sociable. I think this is the first time you’ve come to a party of mine, and the same goes for Kurt, so thank goodness for that book fair. I always knew that the two of you belonged together. You’re both true romantics, and you like the same music and the same television programmes. And you both love to read and to cook. I’m sure you’ll be one of those couples who finish each other’s sentences and feed each other titbits when you go out for dinner.”

“Rather like you and Mike then?” asked Blaine slyly.

They all laughed.

“So when’s the next date?” inquired Tina.

“I don’t know,” said Blaine. “Maybe this weekend? I haven’t heard from him yet today.”

He checked his cell phone, but there were no new messages. He felt a bit disappointed, but decided to send Kurt some more texts.

**To Kurt Hummel**

Last afternoon was magical.

**To Kurt Hummel**

I love spending time with you.

**To Kurt Hummel**

When can I see you again?

He hoped he wouldn’t have to wait until the weekend. Maybe he could drive to Lima after school one day and surprise Kurt.

The afternoon passed quickly, with a maths lesson that taught his third graders some money skills. Basically, they all pretended to go Christmas shopping, buying presents for their family and friends. The presents were an assortment of books, CDs and toys Blaine had priced with a sticker.

Blaine gave the children real money to shop with, one dollar bills and an assortment of coins: half-dollars, quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies.Half of his class played the role of cashier, the other half were shoppers, and as soon as the shoppers had finished their purchases, the roles were switched and the former shoppers took to handling the cash register.

Blaine encouraged the shoppers to count the dollars and coins aloud for the cashiers, and helped both parties whenever necessary. They did remarkably well. With the incentive of getting a present and not paying too much for it (shopper) or getting the exact sales price for a certain item (cashier), counting and adding and subtracting proved a lot more interesting and rewarding.

He rewarded them for their hard work by [taking his guitar and inventing a silly song](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/32/43/34/32433424fd12fa56a71c5748f429009d.jpg) about a man going Christmas shopping and everything going wrong. The refrain had very simple lyrics they could all sing along to, and between fits of giggles, the children sang along lustily.

That concluded the school day, and Blaine brought his class to the schoolyard, straightened up his classroom, helped Chelsea carry a few boxes of Thanksgiving decorations to the Round Room and then waved goodbye and went home.

As soon as Blaine stepped off the school grounds, he checked his phone again. No messages. Kurt wasn’t having second thoughts, was he?

_Okay, one more text, and then I’ll wait until after business hours. He’s probably hard at work. Doesn’t he take any lunch or coffee breaks, though? Ah well … I’ll give him until 6 PM, and then I’ll call him._

**To Kurt Hummel**

Kurt?


	22. Muffins and Plans

“ _Sometimes you don't need a goal in life, you don't need to know the big picture. You just need to know what you're going to do next!_ ” (Sophie Kinsella, _The Undomestic Goddess_ )

Blaine’s new story was coming along nicely. He knew he wanted to feature the scene he’d just described on the cover of the book, so he got out his easel, paints, paper and brushes and started bringing to life the vision in his head.

A few hours later, he stood back and looked at his creation critically. He nodded in satisfaction, put away his painting supplies and went to the kitchen to heat up last night’s pasta dinner.

He looked at the microwave clock and saw that it was past 7 PM. He put the plate in, set the timer and looked for his cell phone. One new message, but it was from Jeff, not from Kurt.

**From Jeff Sterling**

Blainers, can I have Kurt’s phone number please? It’s an emergency.

He frowned. What did Jeff want Kurt’s number for?

He shrugged and sent Jeff a text with the number. Jeff could be annoying and mischievous from time to time, but he was trustworthy.

His phone pinged, and he eagerly read the new message, but it was just a quick word of thanks from Jeff. No sign of life from Kurt yet.

_Shall I call him now, or shall I eat first?_

His stomach growled loudly and indignantly.

_Oh, all right then, dinner first._

After dinner, he sat down on the sofa and called Kurt, but the phone kept ringing and ringing and finally switched to voicemail. After three tries, he gave up, disgruntled.

_Surely, he’s not still at work, is he? Maybe he’s having dinner right now._

He turned the TV on and zapped through channels listlessly. Nothing good was on, so he rifled through his DVD collection and decided on an old James Bond film.

When the film was almost over, his phone pinged at last.

**From Kurt Hummel**

Sorry, I’ve been working non-stop all day and haven’t checked my phone.

_That’s what I thought. I hope he won’t think I’m clingy for having sent so many texts._

**From Kurt Hummel**

So much to do after four days of slacking off.

_True, I’ve been rather greedy the past few days, wanting to see him again and again. I don’t regret it, though, I treasure every minute I spend with him. I hope he’s not in trouble, though. I wouldn’t want him to miss his deadlines._

**From Kurt Hummel**

So could we please schedule our next date sometime this weekend?

_I thought he’d say that. Maybe I can drive to Lima tomorrow and surprise him. Would he be angry with me for disturbing him if I brought him coffee and baked toffee cheesecake?_

**From Kurt Hummel**

I miss you, though. Maybe we could Skype sometime this week?

_Anytime, sweetie!_

He tried calling Kurt again, but this time he got a busy signal. And whoever was on the phone with Kurt, turned out to be loquacious, because half an hour later and an hour later, the line was still busy.

Frustrated, he decided to text back and then go straight to bed.

**To Kurt Hummel**

That’s okay. I hope I didn’t make you miss any deadlines by asking you to skip work yesterday.

**To Kurt Hummel**

Next weekend is all open for me. Want to go see a movie?

**To Kurt Hummel**

And I’d love to Skype with you, anytime you like.

**To Kurt Hummel**

Sweet dreams xxx

K&B

The next morning, before he went to school, he went to his favourite bakery for the baked toffee cheesecake. On a whim, he decided to buy some chocolate chip muffins, too, as a snack for his colleagues and himself. He went back home to put the cheesecake in the fridge, then set of to work, whistling.

The first person he saw at school was Jeff.

“Blainers! Please tell me those are baked goods and I can have some!”

He tilted his head, pouted his lips and gazed at Blaine beseechingly.

Blaine laughed. “I brought muffins. Chocolate chip. And yes, you can have one.”

He let Jeff take a muffin out of the bag.

Jeff sniffed at it, sighed ecstatically and took a bite. “Ah, heaven!”

He threw himself at Blaine, gave him a bear hug and a smacking kiss on the cheek and declared: “Blaine, I love you forever! You’re the bestest friend anyone has ever had!”

Blaine chuckled. “One bite of muffin and you regress back into childhood.”

Jeff pouted. “You’re mean! Well, I was going to tell you all about seeing Kurt yesterday, and now I won’t, so there.”

Quick as a flash, Blaine stole Jeff’s muffin and put it behind his back.

“Hey!” protested Jeff. “My muffin!”

“You’re not getting it back until you tell me about Kurt,” said Blaine. “Where did you see him?”

Jeff lunged for his muffin, but Blaine evaded him. “Tell me, and you’ll get your muffin back.”

[Jeff crossed his arms and huffed mutinously](http://lilyvandersteen.tumblr.com/post/108457287639/weave-your-magic-chapter-22-muffins-and-plans).

“Well?” asked Blaine.

“Alright, alright,” said Jeff. “You know I’m going to a wedding on Saturday, right?”

“Right,” said Blaine.

“Well, my nephew Ian is the ring bearer. And he’s getting a fancy suit to wear. Yesterday was the fitting, and my brother-in-law couldn’t go, so he recruited me to bring Ian to the fitting and to keep him in line.”

“I see,” said Blaine. “So where does Kurt come in?”

“He’s making the suits for the wedding,” clarified Jeff. “Very spiffy. Very Kurt.”

“Oh,” said Blaine. “So you went to his shop?”

“That’s right,” said Jeff. “I saw him in action, and a lovely sight it was, too.”

Blaine swatted his arm. “Hey, you’ve got a boyfriend of your own, stop perving on mine!”

“What?” Jeff looked at Blaine with eyes like saucers. “You’re boyfriends now? Since when? And why am I always the last person to know? I’m your best friend! You should have told me straightaway!”

Blaine grinned. “You’re hardly the last person to know. The only people who know are Tina and Chelsey, and now you. And it’s fairly recent. Since Monday.”

“You saw Kurt on Monday?” asked Jeff. “You didn’t sleep at his place after the party, I know, because you brought us home. Did you go to Lima after school?”

Blaine shook his head. “No, Kurt came here, as a chaperone for our nature walk.”

“Wow,” said Jeff. “Closing his shop and driving all the way here to go trampling about in the mud with you? He must really like you.”

Blaine beamed. “I guess so. I really like him, too.”

“Oh, trust me, I know,” grinned Jeff. “I watched you at the party, and the heart eyes you were making at him were pretty obvious.”

Blaine’s cheeks heated up, but he didn’t stop smiling.

Then he remembered what he wanted to ask Jeff. “Hey Jeff, what did you want Kurt’s number for? You said it was an emergency?”

“Oh … Yes, it was, a wedding emergency,” explained Jeff. “The bride is unhappy about her dress, and wants Kurt to fix it for her.”

“Unhappy about her dress?” asked Blaine. “Is she wearing her mother’s wedding dress or something like that?”

“No,” sighed Jeff. “She designed it herself and then had it made in Paris and shipped here. It arrived yesterday and it’s hideous. Even Naomi herself admits that. It’s a disaster. I hope your Kurt is a miracle man.”

“Now I’m glad I’m going to Lima this afternoon,” said Blaine. “Maybe I can help somehow.”

“Uhm, Blaine, that might not be the best idea,” frowned Jeff. “He’s going to need every minute of every day he’s got left before the wedding. You shouldn’t distract him.”

“I won’t distract him,” vowed Blaine. “I’ll make sure he has coffee to drink and I’ll make him dinner, so that he doesn’t have to waste any time on making or ordering food.”

Jeff looked at him quizzically. “You sound like the two of you are already married.”

Blaine flushed up again. “Am I overstepping? Should I just stay at home and send him some encouraging texts?”

Jeff thought it over, and then shook his head. “No. This is who you are. Always slightly over the top in whatever you say or do for the people you love. If he can’t deal with that right from the start, he’s not right for you. So go for it. I think he’ll appreciate it.”

Blaine grinned a bit sheepishly. He was intense, he knew that. When he fell in love, it was head over heels and very deeply. He just hoped that wouldn’t scare Kurt off.

Jeff held out his hand. “Now can I have my muffin back?”


	23. A Rose for a Rose

“ _It looks as if a lace factory threw up on her. There is lace everywhere… the poufed sleeves… the insert above the neckline… dripping from the bodice and the skirt, then looped up in bunches all around the hem. It’s the kind of wedding dress some girls dream of …_

 _When they’re nine._ ” (Meg Cabot, _Queen of Babble_ )

Kurt pursed his lips and frowned as he looked the dress up and down, and motioned for the girl to twirl around slowly, so that he could assess the monstrosity from all sides.

The [bride-to-be](http://lilyvandersteen.tumblr.com/post/108463938764/weave-your-magic-chapter-23-a-rose-for-a-rose) was a tiny little slip of a thing, beautiful and ethereal, with glowing alabaster skin that rivalled Kurt’s, a long graceful neck, vivid red hair in big curls and piercing green eyes. She was slender, but had curves that, emphasized by the right dress, would surely drive her fiancé to distraction.

But the Parisian concoction did nothing for her, and that was an understatement. It was bad. It was really bad. The colour was all wrong, the dress was too bulky and bombastic and not at all figure-flattering.

“Miss Keller, may I be blunt?” asked Kurt.

“It’s Naomi, and you won’t say anything I haven’t heard from my mother and sisters already, so go right ahead,” said the prospective bride.

“Well, Naomi, this is certainly not the right dress for you. You have flawless cream and roses skin, and this hot pink sets that off admirably, but I’m afraid the colour clashes with your hair, and you really need to take that into account as well.”

“So no pink, then?” pouted Naomi. “I like pink.”

“So do I,” confessed Kurt. “And it’s a wonderful idea to add colour to your wedding dress. All white is so boring.”

“It is,” agreed Naomi. “And I’m so pale that I look washed out in plain white.”

“We’ll definitely keep some colour, then,” promised Kurt. “The next issue with the dress is that it drowns you out. It’s a case of the dress wearing you rather than the other way around. You have a beautiful tiny waist, but you look positively shapeless under that massive hoop skirt and with those voluminous roses all over your bodice. They’re beautifully shaped, and again, I like the idea, so we’re keeping a few of them. They won’t go on the bodice, though. We want your curves displayed to their best advantage, not hidden behind taffeta roses.”

“Okay,” nodded Naomi.

“How do you feel about a back décolleté?” asked Kurt. “I’m planning to make a jacket to go over the dress anyway. It’s November, you’ll need it.”

He looked at Naomi consideringly, making note of her nose stud, the chunky rings she was wearing and the butterfly tattooed on her wrist, and added: “Do you want a feminine jacket or a cool rock chick one?”

“The rock chick one, definitely,” enthused Naomi. “And I’m okay with a low back neckline, absolutely, that’s sexy, like the blue dress Gwyneth Palthrow wore in Iron Man.”

“Okay …”

Kurt inspected all the layers of the dress. There was certainly enough material and then some. The slip Naomi wore underneath was a beautiful pale pink.

“Naomi, do you like this shade of pink?” he asked.

Naomi nodded. “I like all shades of pink. I just went with a vibrant colour because I thought it would make me stand out.”

Kurt chuckled. “It would make you stand out, make no mistake about that, but it wouldn’t be in a good way. It’s just … too much. You call it a vibrant colour, I wouldn’t hesitate to call it garish. Tacky, even. In small doses, it would work. But an entire wedding dress in this colour wouldn’t look good on anyone. Not even Miranda Kerr could pull it off. So I’d like to suggest we get rid of the hot pink and turn this slip into the wedding dress. It has more than enough material for a lovely A line dress that clings to your curves in the best possible way. What do you think?”

“Uh … Okay …” said Naomi.

Kurt took his sketch book and started drawing his take on Naomi’s wedding dress, a front view and a back view. An A line dress with a chapel train quickly materialised. He added sleeves and other details, and kept up a running commentary as he sketched.

“And then I’d used detachable cap sleeves in sheer lace. Detachable because I thought you might wear them in church and then leave them off for the dance and be a bit more casual. The same for the train, I’ll make sure it can be hitched up in an elegant way for the dancing. And I was thinking about using the hot pink for the train, maybe tempered by a layer of sheer white chiffon. That would really make the dress pop, and with the back décolleté, it’s not close enough to your hair to clash with it. And then the taffeta roses, I would make them slightly smaller, because these flowers are so big that they’re more like peonies, and I would only use them from the knees down.”

Naomi’s mouth fell open. “This is beautiful. This is brilliant. This is exactly the dress I always wanted. How did you know?”

Kurt chuckled. “I didn’t know. What I do know is what would look good on you, and this will make you look stunning. Now let’s talk about the jacket. It will definitely have to be lined with down, to make it warm enough, and with the same pale pink fabric as your wedding dress, to make the entire look coherent. But seeing as this jacket is something you’ll be able to wear again and again, not just on your wedding day, I want it to be exactly what you like best. You have two options: either I make a leather jacket, or I make a denim jacket. It will be black, with embroidered hot pink rosebuds all over, with bright green stems and leaves. What material would you like best?”

“Oh, the leather jacket, please!” squealed Naomi. “It’s sounds wonderful. But can you pull this off in three days?”

“I hope so,” said Kurt. “I might have to call in some favours, though …”

“Favours?” asked Naomi.

Kurt nodded. “I made wedding gowns for all of my girlfriends, as a favour to them, because usually I stick to men’s wear. So now it’s their turn to help me out. Tina is an excellent seamstress, Santana and Quinn can embroider like nobody’s business and Rachel and Brittany can make the taffeta roses.”

“If I can do anything to help, please set me to work. It’s my fault you have to solve this mess, so the least I can do is help,” volunteered Naomi.

Kurt’s mouth fell open in shock. “You’re getting married this Saturday and you’d drop everything to stay here with me at the shop and help whip your wedding dress into shape? Don’t you have a million things still to arrange and check and double-check?”

“Please don’t judge me,” said Naomi, “but weddings are so not my thing. My mother loves organising all kinds of events and she planned her own wedding so flawlessly that it became a standard for high society weddings hereabouts. My elder sisters are just like her, and their weddings were pretty perfect as well.”

“And now there’s me, the afterthought and the oddball, who didn’t want to get married in the first place. I said no to all the perfect marriage candidates my mother and sisters introduced to me and flat out refused a coming out party when I turned sixteen.”

“When I fell in love with Greg, my mother was astounded and pleased that he came from an “old-money” family like mine, and insisted on a lavish wedding. My father usually takes my side, and thanks to him, I escaped the cotillion cattle market, but now he stood firm and told me to humour my mother. So I said, okay, but on condition that I don’t have to organise anything myself, and that I get free reign to design my own wedding dress. The first condition was a stroke of genius, if I say so myself, because all Greg and I have to do is write our wedding vows and turn up. The second condition, though, was not such a good idea, and I’m really and truly sorry you’re bearing the brunt of my mistakes.”

“So yes, I’m quite serious, I’d do anything I can to help you out. The rest of the wedding is taken care of by my mother and sisters, and they’re doing a better job planning it than I ever could, so I have every confidence in them. I’m the anti-bridezilla.”

Kurt threw his head back and laughed. “And here I thought you’d be obnoxious and micromanaging and I’d have to use my extensive powers of persuasion to firmly guide you into the right direction.”

Naomi giggled. “No, I’m completely malleable, I assure you, and I’m blown away by your sketch. I think even my mother will approve. Except perhaps of the jacket.”

“Duly noted,” said Kurt. “I’ll scan in these sketches and let you e-mail them to your mother. I’d like her opinion. If the jacket won’t cut it for the church ceremony, we’ll keep it for the going away outfit and use Rachel’s white faux fur shrug instead. Look, this is what she wore at her wedding. She married in December, and it was snowing. I’ll scan in this photograph, too, so that your mother can see both options. You wouldn’t mind using Rachel’s shrug? It could be your “something borrowed”. She only wore it that one time, and it’s still in perfect condition. I made the shrug myself and Santana and Quinn embroidered the baby pink rosebuds onto it. It suits your dress and it looks formal enough to please your mother.”

Naomi looked dumbfounded. “I wouldn’t mind, no. But why would your friend let me borrow her shrug? She doesn’t know me at all.”

Kurt shrugged. “She’s my sister-in-law and she owes me about a hundred favours, so if I ask her, she’ll gladly lend it to you. I’ll call her right now and ask her, if you like. Can you e-mail your mother in the meantime? Does she check her e-mail often?”

“She gets notifications on her phone, so yes,” said Naomi. “I think she’ll be very impressed. She thought it would be impossible to save this dress. She’s already contacted Vera Wang for a back-up dress in my size. She was furious with me when my dress arrived and it turned out to be such a disaster.”

“What colour are your bridesmaids’ dresses, by the way?” asked Kurt. “I have to make sure they don’t clash with your dress.”

“They’re lilac,” answered Naomi promptly. “My mother chose them. She chose the bridesmaids, too, by the way. The only one I put my foot down about was Ian, the ring bearer. He’s my brother’s son, and Charles and I have always been very close. I get on much better with Charles than with my sisters. My mother didn’t want Ian to be the ring bearer because she considers him ‘unreliable’. Translation: he’s always up to some mischief. But I wanted him anyway.”

“I saw Ian yesterday, for the fitting, and he behaved really well,” said Kurt.

“Jeff came with him, didn’t he?” inquired Naomi. “Jeff’s a regular snake charmer where Ian is concerned, he just gets him and anticipates any mischief Ian might have in mind.”

“So let Jeff keep an eye on him at the wedding, and it will be fine,” suggested Kurt.

“Yes, that’s what I was planning to ask Jeff …” Naomi trailed off when her phone beeped. “Oh, my mother’s answered already. She likes the dress as you designed it, but would prefer the shrug to the jacket.”

“Excellent,” smiled Kurt. “Let’s get the girls here and get this show on the road!”


	24. All for One and One for All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you impatient for Klaine to meet again: next chapter they will. Sorry for the long wait!

“ _Occasionally everyone would take a break from quilting, and they would hurry to the kitchen for snacks and conversation, giggling like kids at recess, until their fingers felt ready to pick up their needles again. Sarah was delighted to see how quickly eight pairs of hands virtually flew over the fabric._ ” (Jennifer Chiaverini, _The Quilter’s Apprentice_ )

It was a quarter to twelve, and Kurt’s workroom was abuzz with activity and chatter. He had called all his girls and Rachel had turned up ten minutes after he’d called, bringing the promised shrug with her. Soon after, Quinn, Santana and Brittany arrived as well, and he expected Tina at around five in the afternoon.

He’d taken Naomi’s measurements and had cut the leather pieces for the jacket first, so that Quinn and Santana could start embroidering straightaway. Rachel, Brittany and Naomi were diligently making taffeta roses, in a few different shades of pink. Kurt himself was cutting a train out of the hot pink fabric and thinking about how he was going to insert this into the dress.

The shop bell clanged, and Kurt reluctantly went to the front of the shop to help the customer who’d shown up. Only, it wasn’t a customer. It was a delivery boy. He held a huge bag of delicious-smelling Chinese food and drawled: “Mr Hummel?”

“Yes, that’s me, only I haven’t ordered anything,” answered Kurt, bewildered. Was this delivery meant for his dad?

“It was ordered for you by a Mr Anderson. There’s a note in the bag. Enjoy!” said the delivery boy, depositing the bag on the counter and turning to leave.

“Wait!” shouted Kurt.

The boy turned around again impatiently. “What?”

“How much do I owe you?” asked Kurt.

“Nothing,” said the boy. “It’s been paid already.”

Kurt whipped out his wallet and handed the boy a tip anyway. He shrugged, accepted the money and went out.

Kurt peeked into the bag and found the note. It said:

“ _Dear Kurt,_

_Tina tells me the New Directions girls are called out in full force to help you get a wedding dress ready on time. You probably have no time to waste on making or even ordering food, so here’s some sustenance for all of you._

_Love,_

_Blaine_ ”

Kurt blinked a tear away. That was such a thoughtful thing to do. And it was more than welcome, seeing as lunch for him and the girls hadn’t so much as crossed his mind. His thoughts had been and still were consumed with wedding finery.

He took the bag of food to the workroom and told everyone to stop working and join him upstairs for lunch. As soon as everyone was happily munching away, he looked for his phone to send his thanks to Blaine.

He hadn’t checked his phone since he ended the call to Naomi the night before, and now he saw that he had three missed calls from Blaine, and several texts, all of them dating from Tuesday evening.

**From Blaine Anderson**

That’s okay. I hope I didn’t make you miss any deadlines by asking you to skip work yesterday.

_That’s right, I went to Westerville on Monday. Wow, that seems like ages ago._

**From Blaine Anderson**

Next weekend is all open for me. Want to go see a movie?

_I can’t make any plans right now, but I’ll definitely get back to you on that. What kind of films do you like, anyway? We need to play Twenty Questions sometime, there’s so much I still don’t know about you._

**From Blaine Anderson**

And I’d love to Skype with you, anytime you like.

_Note to self: make some time tonight to Skype with Blaine. Don’t forget!_

**From Blaine Anderson**

Sweet dreams xxx

_Aww, isn’t he just the sweetest?_

Kurt had been so distracted by the wedding dress challenge that he hadn’t so much as spared a thought for Blaine. Blaine, who’d been trying to reach him all day yesterday. Blaine, who’d tried to make plans for a real date or a Skype date. Blaine, who’d heard about him rallying the Glee girls and sent the lot of them a delicious lunch instead of being angry at Kurt for flat out ignoring him.

_Uh-oh. And the award for the worst boyfriend of the year goes to … Kurt Hummel!_

Kurt quickly typed out his response:

**To Blaine Anderson**

Thank you so much for lunch, you’re a lifesaver!

**To Blaine Anderson**

I was so intent on fixing this dress that I hadn’t even thought of ordering in yet …

**To Blaine Anderson**

I feel so bad about ignoring you yet again. I’m not doing it on purpose, I swear.

**To Blaine Anderson**

Could we maybe Skype tonight? At around 9 PM?

**To Blaine Anderson**

Thanks again for being the best boyfriend ever. Kurt xxx

He had just sent that last text when his phone was snatched away from him.

“Hey!” he protested.

“Listen, Lady Hummel,” drawled Santana, holding Kurt’s phone out of his reach. “You called us all here to save your fabulous ass by helping you make this wedding outfit look presentable by Saturday, and then when we take a break you walk away from us and start texting. That’s rude. You can take it from me, I know rude.”

Kurt had the grace to blush. She was right, of course.

“Who were you texting to, anyway?” Santana asked, looking through his text messages. “Blaine? Who the hell is Blaine? Is that a girl’s or a boy’s name? Ooooh, what do I see here? Boyfriend? Since when do you have a boyfriend, Porcelain? And how come none of us know about this? I thought we were friends? Or is that only if you have a favour to ask?”

Rachel choked on a piece of spring roll when Santana mentioned the word ‘boyfriend’. Santana thumped her on the back so hard that she nearly fell face first into her plate of noodle soup.

“Blaine’s your boyfriend now? Since when?” Rachel inquired, a bit breathless still, but her eyes bright and eager.

“Who’s this Blaine?” asked Quinn. “Do we know him? Did he come with you to the party this Sunday? Is that why you came? You never come to any of our parties, you’re such a hermit.”

“Blaine’s a pretty name,” said Brittany, cocking her head to the side. “I bet he’s pretty, isn’t he?”

Kurt blushed even harder, and nodded. “He’s gorgeous.”

“So tell us all about him, and tell us how you two met,” demanded Quinn. “You know you want to.”

Kurt told the story from the beginning. Queuing at the book fair, half asleep, with his niece, to get Smythe’s autograph. The author right next to Smythe singing and telling a story, and Kurt being so blown away by the guy’s talent and good looks that he didn’t even notice he’d lost his phone. Then, that evening, calling his phone from his landline to see if anyone had found it, and that very same author answering the phone. Making plans to go fetch it, along with Rachel and her brood. Blaine inviting them to Tina’s party. The both of them talking at the party. And then, on Monday, the good stuff: Blaine asking him to be his boyfriend, and kissing him.

The girls ooh’ed and aah’ed in all the right places. [Even Santana, though she scoffed a bit at the slow pace and the sugary sweetness of Kurt’s love story, seemed genuinely pleased for him.](http://lilyvandersteen.tumblr.com/post/108477200109/weave-your-magic-chapter-24-all-for-one-and-one)

“So I take it he’s one of those Warbler guys Rachel called up to the stage this Sunday?” asked Quinn.

Kurt nodded.

“Which one is he?” inquired Santana. “The skinny blonde with the fringe and the sweet moves? Or the fun-sized caterpillar-browed Mr. Dapper?”

Kurt frowned at her description, but clarified: “The second one.”

“Well, who’d have thought,” drawled Santana. “Our little baby penguin’s finally getting some. Wanky.”

“I’m so happy for you,” smiled Rachel. “As soon as I saw you together on Saturday, I knew you guys would be perfect for each other.”

“He makes you happy,” observed Brittany. “I have never seen you so happy before. It’s nice.”

Kurt smiled broadly and served himself some moo shu pork, digging in with a satisfied sigh.


	25. Officially Perfect

# Chapter 25: Officially Perfect

“ _He never loses patience,--never doubts or complains,--but always hopes, and works and waits so cheerfully, that one is ashamed to do otherwise before him_.” (Louisa May Alcott, _Little Women_ )

Blaine handed out the rest of the muffins during the morning break, in the teachers’ lounge.

“Where’s Tina?” he asked Nora.

“She stepped out to take a phone call, sweetie,” smiled Nora. “This is delicious, by the way, thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome, Nora,” Blaine smiled.

As soon as Tina came back in, he gave her a muffin, too.

“Thanks, Blaine, this looks yummy,” Tina said brightly. “I’m going to Kurt’s after school. He’s revamping a wedding dress and needs all the help he can get. He called all the New Directions girls - well, all of us who live in the neighbourhood - so it’s going to be fun. I’m really looking forward to it.”

“Can I come?” asked Blaine.

Tina looked dubious. “Kurt will be fixated on this dress and will completely neglect you, I’m afraid. He has a one-track mind when he’s trying to bring his vision to life. He completely forgets to eat and sleep and pay attention to anything else. You can come, but be prepared to be ignored by Mr. Genius at Work.”

“He forgets to eat?” asked Blaine.

Tina nodded, biting a huge chunk out of the muffin.

“I just had an idea, I need to run out for a moment,” said Blaine. “I’ll be right back!”

He ran to the Chinese restaurant two blocks from Hawthorne, and hoped it would be open already. Luckily, it was. He placed his order, paid for it, including a hefty tip for the delivery boy, and scribbled a note to be delivered with the food.

He reached the schoolyard just as the bell rang. Tina tutted at him, but he ignored her, telling her he’d come along to Lima after school.

K&B

Blaine was eating lunch in the teacher’s lounge when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He checked whom the new messages were from, and grinned from ear to ear when he saw they came from Kurt.

**From Kurt Hummel**

Thank you so much for lunch, you’re a lifesaver!

_I aim to please. If this makes you answer my texts more quickly, I’ll send you food every day._

**From Kurt Hummel**

I was so intent on fixing this dress that I hadn’t even thought of ordering in yet …

_Uh-huh, a little birdie told me that might be the case …_

**From Kurt Hummel**

I feel so bad about ignoring you yet again. I’m not doing it on purpose, I swear.

_That’s all right then … Though I’m not above bribing you with food to get your attention._

**From Kurt Hummel**

Could we maybe Skype tonight? At around 9 PM?

_I’m coming to Lima to see you, isn’t that a better alternative?_

**From Kurt Hummel**

Thanks again for being the best boyfriend ever. Kurt xxx

_I like it when you call me your boyfriend._

Blaine decided to keep his answer short and simple.

**To Kurt Hummel**

You’re welcome :-) Blaine xxx

“You seem awfully chipper today, Blaine,” said Nora.

Blaine smiled at her.

Tina grinned. “New love will do that to you.”

“Oh,” said Nora, “You’ve met someone? I’m so happy for you, Blaine.”

Jeff danced around the table, flapping his arms like a bird, singing: “Blaine and Kurt, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage.”

Everyone laughed at his [antics](https://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1riigKUBF1r2hf42.gif), even Blaine, who swatted him on the shoulder in mock anger.

K&B

That afternoon, Tina and her sons Michael Jr. and Henry came along to Blaine’s apartment and waited while he changed clothes and grabbed the cheesecake out of the fridge. He took his guitar too, just in case.

“I hadn’t counted on eight more people,” he pouted. “I only got two pieces of cheesecake. Can we stop by the bakery to see if they have any left?”

“If you can make it quick,” said Tina. “I promised I’d be at Kurt’s by five.”

The bakery’s cheesecake was all sold out, so Blaine purchased some other desserts for the girls and for Tina’s boys, and then Tina drove them to Lima as fast as she could.

At first, Michael Jr. and Henry were rowdy, squirming in their booster seats, pinching one another, mock fighting and arguing, but they soon fell asleep, exhausted by their school day.

“It’s a good thing you’re coming along,” sighed Tina. “Mike texted me that he wouldn’t be home before 10 PM, so I’ll need someone to look after the children while I work on this dress with Kurt.”

“No problem,” smiled Blaine. “Private dance lesson again?”

Tina nodded. “The girl’s pretty good, but the guy has two left feet. He should probably stay off the dance floor for everybody’s safety. But they’re getting married on Saturday, so he’s expected to dance. Mike’s having his work cut out for him, I can tell you.”

“Is it the same wedding Kurt is making the dress for?” asked Blaine.

“Huh … I don’t know. It might,” said Tina. “Anyway, Finn managed to dance creditably at his wedding thanks to Mike’s tutelage, so if anyone can teach this groom, it’s Mike.”

“True, he’s an amazing dancer, better than Jeff even,” agreed Blaine. “Please don’t tell Jeff I said that, though.”

“I would never,” grinned Tina.

K&B

When they arrived in Lima, they first stopped at the Lima Bean to get coffee for the whole gang, then drove on to Kurt’s shop. Tina helped the boys out of their car seats, while Blaine slung his guitar over his shoulder and grabbed the coffee tray and the pastry bag.

He felt a bit uncertain all of a sudden. How would Kurt react when he saw Blaine? Would he be happy to see Blaine or would he feel like he was being stalked? Was Blaine being clingy? Was this all too much? It was, wasn’t it?

Tina saw him panicking and gently stroked his arm. “Hey, don’t freak out. He’ll be glad to see you, I’m sure. If only because you brought cheesecake. Did he tell you that was his favourite dessert?”

Blaine shook his head. “No. I just bought it because I love this cheesecake myself.”

“You lucked out then,” concluded Tina. “Come on, let’s go in.”

The bell clanged loudly when they opened the door to the shop. Blaine admired the understated but elegant interior of the shop, and was just browsing the tie rack next to the counter when Kurt came in.

“Tina!” he exclaimed, and enveloped her in a big hug. “Come on through to the back. Oh, you brought Junior and Henry?”

“I brought a babysitter too, don’t worry,” grinned Tina.

“A babysitter?” Kurt looked around and saw Blaine. [His face lit up. “Blaine!”](https://31.media.tumblr.com/acfff914df9a3ca8d465e44b59d022ab/tumblr_inline_n5oyxms3Xj1qcrm4h.jpg)

In three strides, he was in Blaine’s arms, hugging him as if his life depended on it. “I’m so glad you’re here!”

Blaine chuckled.

_I guess I had nothing to worry about. And I haven’t even mentioned the coffee and cheesecake yet._

“Can we take a coffee break together before you put me to work?” asked Tina.

“Sure,” said Kurt. “Let me go put a pot of coffee on.”

“No need,” smiled Blaine, picking up the coffee tray from the counter.

“You brought coffee?” asked Kurt.

“And cheesecake,” added Blaine.

Kurt’s mouth fell open and for a moment, he froze. Then he moved like a whirlwind, taking the tray out of Blaine’s hands, putting it back on the counter, gripping Blaine by the lapels of his coat and [kissing him square on the mouth](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbeku8jgyb1qbv1q7o1_r1_250.gif).

“You are officially perfect,” he declared, stepping away with glowing eyes and a breath-taking smile.

Blaine blushed, but smiled right back, overjoyed at Kurt’s reaction.

Someone whooped and catcalled behind him.

“Oh, stuff it, Santana,” reacted Kurt, but there was no anger behind his words, and he kept smiling. He took the coffee tray and led the way to the workroom at the back of the shop.

Blaine grabbed the bag of pastries and followed suit, impervious to Santana’s insolent stare. His lips were still tingling and he walked with a spring in his step and a new-found confidence. Kurt had liked his surprises! He was glad to see Blaine! He’d hugged him straightaway! He’d kissed him dizzy! Oh, life was good …


	26. Meeting the Girls

“ _He then kissed her. It was a very long time before he let her go. When he did, she looked up at him, hurt and bewilderment on her face. “Why did you stop?” asked Tessa. “I thought you might want to breathe,” said Guy carefully. “Breathe?” said Tessa, shocked. “I don’t need to breathe when I’m with you.”_ ” (Eva Ibbotson, _Magic Flutes_ )

The workroom looked as though a pink bomb had exploded. There were pieces of fabric in every hue of pink littering the floor, the tables, the chairs and even sticking to the clothes of the industriously working girls.

In a corner sat three children. Blaine recognised [Sarah](http://www.oocities.org/epnebelle/learoses.jpg) and [Toby](http://dailyentertainmentnews.com/wpgo/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Joe-Monteith-father-Joe-Monteith.jpg). The other girl was the eldest of the three. She looked about ten or eleven, and she was beautiful. [Her features were flawless, her hair long and blonde, and her eyes a warm hazel colour](http://s609.photobucket.com/user/wicked1986/media/sophia.jpg.html). She seemed to be doing her homework and she looked very serious, the expression slightly marred by the tip of her tongue sticking out in concentration.

“Okay, everyone, this is my boyfriend Blaine,” said Kurt. “Blaine, you know Rachel and Sarah and Toby, of course.”

Blaine nodded to Rachel and waved at the children, who gave them identical beaming smiles.

“And this is Santana, please don’t mind her rudeness, she has absolutely no filter.”

Santana smirked. “You need someone around here to keep it real. And I approve of your Prince Charming, Porcelain, he’s easy on the eyes. A bit too short and his hair’s too curly, but he’ll do.”

Blaine chuckled, and Kurt looked as though he wanted to lash out at her, but he swallowed it and continued the introductions.

“Brittany’s at the dance studio for the moment. You’ll meet her later. And last but not least, there’s Quinn, and her daughter Beth.”

Quinn looked very much like her daughter, except for the eyes. She looked him over appraisingly and then nodded and smiled. “Nice to meet you, Blaine.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Blaine answered.

They all went upstairs for coffee and dessert, Santana and Tina squabbling over a tartlet they both had their eye on and Blaine helping out Henry and Toby to prevent them from smearing chocolate icing and crème pâtissière all over their sweaters.

They talked a bit about the bride-to-be, who’d apparently helped out Kurt the whole afternoon and had only just left to go make an early supper for herself and her fiancé, because they had a dance lesson afterwards. The consensus was that she was charming and sweet and worth all the effort, and that the monstrous dress she designed must have been an act of temporary insanity.

Kurt described the “before” dress to Blaine in all its horrifying glory, and then told him how he envisioned the “after” dress. Blaine was suitably impressed. The only suggestion he made was to ask the future bride to bring along her wedding shoes and any other accessories she was planning on wearing the next time she came to Kurt’s shop.

“You know, she’s shown that she doesn’t have very good taste,” he remarked reasonably. “So it’s better to find out what you’re dealing with before the actual wedding. She’ll be wearing your creation, after all, and you don’t want the overall effect to be ruined because the accessories clash with the dress. Styling is very important. Nina Garcia always says so on Project Runway.”

“True,” said Kurt pensively, and he fell into a fit of abstraction, clearly picturing the ideal styling for the wedding dress.

Rachel took advantage of his silence to tell Blaine about her wedding dress, also made by Kurt, and her winter wedding, and the others chipped in to discuss their weddings and dresses as well.

From there, the conversation went to work, Blaine asking how they could all so easily drop everything and come to Kurt’s rescue like that. As it turned out, all of them were self-employed, except for Tina.

Rachel explained that she had been a stay-at-home mom for a long time, and then had taken an event planning course. Now, she organised children’s birthday parties and baked specialty cakes on demand.

Quinn was a lawyer with her own private practice. She was strongly involved with the National Women’s Law Center, and was currently an active member of Lima’s city council and contemplating running for Congress.

“So after this coffee break, I’ll have to go home and get some work done, I’m afraid. And yes, I’ll probably hate myself tomorrow for having taken the day off, but I don’t regret it one bit,” she mused. “Kurt is a good friend to me, and I’m glad I’ve been able to pay him back for all the times he’s helped me out. Also, I had a wonderful time catching up with everyone. I don’t see my friends very often these days, with all the responsibilities I’m juggling. I live practically next door to Tina, yet I could only come to her party for half an hour and then I had to leave and work some more.”

Santana worked as a copywriter and translator, and gave Blaine a quick overview of publicity campaigns, articles and websites she’d had a hand in. She also told him about her wife, Brittany, who gave dance lessons at the studio owned by Tina’s husband, and was currently teaching a bunch of golden-agers the waltz.

After their break, Quinn and Beth left, and Kurt and the other girls got back to work, whilst Blaine gravitated towards the children. He helped them with their homework first. Then, when they told him they were hungry, he conferred with Kurt and took them to the kitchen upstairs to make them grilled cheese sandwiches for supper, with a glass of milk. After that, he drew pictures for Henry and Toby to colour in and told all of them a story connected to the pictures.

When the story ended, Sarah demanded another one, but Michael said he wanted music, and everyone in the workroom concurred, so Blaine took his guitar and started a sing-a-long, marvelling yet again at the New Directions’ wonderful assortment of voices.

Around 8 PM, Toby’s eyes started to droop, and Rachel called it a day, thanking Blaine prettily for looking after her children, and promising him a glowing baby-sitting recommendation if ever he needed one. [She whispered something in Kurt’s ear that made him blush to the tips of his ears](http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/glee/images/0/02/Kurt_and_Rachel_-3.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110330155558) yet smile enigmatically.

Tina took her children home as well, citing work to be done, supper to be made and children to put to bed, not necessarily in that order, and hugged Blaine goodbye with the words: “I want to hear all about it tomorrow, Bling Bling!”

And then there was just Santana left with the two of them.

“And now you’re going to throw me out too, huh,” she surmised, hands on her hips. “I can see you’re just itching to get it on with Blaine. But Brittany’s working until nine, so you’re stuck with me until then. Do we have any of that Chinese food left? I’m hungry and I’m sick and tired of all this fiddly embroidery stuff. My eyes are so tired I’m starting to squint, and that’s not really a good look for me.”

Kurt placated her quickly. “No, I would never throw you out, and the embroidery’s nearly done, I can easily finish it myself now. I’m hungry too, and there’s still loads of food in the fridge. Come upstairs, both of you!”

They heated up the left-overs in the microwave and nestled themselves on the couch, Santana in the middle.

They ate in silence, all three of them too hungry to focus on anything else than food for a while. They each had seconds, and after that dessert. When they were full, however, Santana turned to Blaine.

[“So tell me about yourself, Fun Size,” she drawled](http://37.media.tumblr.com/2e79cb4948d6112b7c7ba5b95050f9b3/tumblr_n56lsznYZu1qzh21go6_r1_250.gif). “I know you can sing, and tell stories, and look after children, but apart from that, I don’t know squat about you, and neither does Kurt, apparently. So give us the down-low on Blaine Warbler.”

Blaine chuckled. “It’s Blaine Devon Anderson, actually. Well, I’m 25 and I teach third grade at Hawthorne in Westerville. I have a brother who’s much older than me and who works as an actor. You might have heard of him. Cooper Anderson.”

“The guy from the Free Credit Rating commercial?” asked Santana. “Wow, what a gene pool. That guy is hot!”

“That jingle used to be my ringtone in high school,” Kurt admitted. “I may or may not have had a tiny crush on Cooper Anderson back then.”

Santana snorted. “Well, at least he’s a better choice than Finn.”

“Santana!” protested Kurt, blushing furiously now.

“What, you didn’t tell Blaine about your scintillating love life yet?” asked Santana. “Kurtie here has never been with anyone before, did you know that, Fun Size?”

“Neither have I,” said Blaine softly. “And yes, he told me.”

_And clearly I know a little bit more than you about Kurt’s love life, since you don’t seem to know anything about Sebastian._

Santana gawked at Blaine. “You’ve never …? How is that even possible? You went to an all boys’ school that was probably full of gays!”

“There were a fair few of them, yes,” admitted Blaine. “None of them caught my eye, though.”

_No way am I telling you about my high school crush, you can forget about that._

“And in college?” Santana probed.

“I never went out much,” said Blaine.

Santana seemed speechless for a while. Then she leaned back and said: “Well, Porcelain, I have to hand it to you; you’ve managed to snag yourself a guy who suits you very well. He’s just as boring as you are. You’re probably the kind of people who’ll save yourself for marriage. I dare say even Midget and Man Boobs have a more interesting sex life than you will ever have. Pity.”

Kurt seemed to have a hard time keeping a straight face, but managed. Blaine didn’t know whether to laugh his head off or feel offended, so he worked towards looking politely disinterested.

Santana grilled Blaine thoroughly, and he was deeply relieved when the shop bell clanged again, and Santana’s wife made her appearance. Brittany was as unlike Santana as it was possible to be. She seemed thrilled to meet Blaine, citing that it was about time her favourite dolphin found another to make baby dolphins with. Blaine blinked a bit at the dolphin simile, but didn’t question it, basking in the girl’s clear approval and general sweetness. This was a friend of Kurt’s he’d certainly get along with.

Kurt heated up some of the left-over Chinese food for Brittany, told her how much progress they had made on the dress, and asked her how Naomi and Greg’s wedding dance was coming along.

Apparently, Greg was still stomping on Naomi’s feet ever so often, but it was getting better the more they practised.

After Brittany’s supper, the girls took their leave, with hugs all around.

Kurt took Blaine’s hand and led him back to the couch.

“This is better than Skype,” he remarked.

“So much better,” sighed Blaine.

“Tina said she drove you here,” continued Kurt.

“Yes, I figured I could take a taxi back,” explained Blaine.

“No, you’ve already spent enough money for the day,” said Kurt decisively. “You can stay over here tonight and ride back to Westerville with Tina tomorrow morning. I have a fully stocked guest room with an en suite bathroom, and I daresay I can find you a pair of pyjamas that will fit you.”

“Oh,” said Blaine stupidly, momentarily stunned. That was so much more than he’d hoped for.

Kurt’s face fell at this less than enthusiastic response to his offer. “Unless … you’d rather go home, of course.”

“No, no!” Blaine reassured him, taking his hands and squeezing them lightly. “I just … I wasn’t expecting … I’ve never … I would very much like to stay. That gives me more time with you.”

_And maybe we could kiss some more._

The thought made him smile broadly, and Kurt scooted a little closer and smiled back, his eyes a luminous electric blue with yellow sparks, and Blaine lost himself again in the beauty of those eyes, and leaned in for a kiss.

He hummed happily when his lips found Kurt’s, and he put his arms around Kurt’s waist and pulled Kurt on top of him. Much better.

He gently rubbed circles into Kurt’s back, feeling him relax more and more, but also shiver a little. He looked for an afghan or a plaid blanket, but found none, so he sat up, took off his cardigan and draped it over Kurt, quickly snuggling under him again and reattaching his lips to Kurt’s.

_I could stay like this forever …_


	27. The Best Surprise

_“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”_ (J.R.R. Tolkien, _The Hobbit_ )

The dress was taking shape faster than Kurt could have hoped. He’d worked out how to insert the hot pink train into the dress and he’d stitched together all the components. Now he had to make tiny button holes for the row of pearl buttons in the back, but first he wanted Naomi to try it on, so that he could see if it fit.

Naomi wriggled into the dress, and it fit like a glove. The colour was very becoming, too, and she squealed in delight when she saw herself in the mirror.

Kurt looked at the train the way it was now, then draped some sheer white chiffon over it. Would he have time to embroider the chiffon? Maybe not the entire train, but part of it, fanning out, with silver metallic thread.

He asked Naomi for her opinion, sketching what he had in mind, and she liked the idea. Could he manage it within the time limits? Well, yes, with a little help from his friends, he could.

The embroidery on the jacket was progressing nicely and he had plenty of taffeta roses in all tints of pink, even with Brittany flitting in and out of his shop in between dance lessons. As soon as the buttonholes and buttons were in place, he’d pin the roses onto the dress in the pattern he wanted and then let Rachel start sewing the roses onto the dress.

All in all, it was going very well, so it was with a pleased smile that he sent Naomi home to get ready for a dance lesson with her fiancé.

He had done all but the last button hole when the shop bell clanged again. He looked at the clock, and saw that it was just past five. Tina, at last!

He jogged to the shop and shouted “Tina!”, engulfing her in a bear hug. It was so good to get to spend a whole day with his girlfriends, and he really appreciated their alacrity to help him out.

“Come on through to the back,” he said, and then noticed Tina’s sons. “Oh, you brought Junior and Henry?”

_Well, Quinn and Rachel’s kids have come straight here from school as well. They can all keep each other company. Thankfully, they’re all pretty well-behaved._

“I brought a babysitter too, don’t worry,” grinned Tina.

“A babysitter?” asked Kurt, surprise colouring his tone. Tina pointed to the counter, and when Kurt directed his gaze there, his heart leapt right out of his chest. “Blaine!”

_I loved your surprise at noon, but this is the best surprise yet!_

[He ran straight into Blaine’s arms, hugging him as if he hadn’t seen him for decades](http://media.giphy.com/media/ay7vygx20DWSY/giphy.gif). “I’m so glad you’re here!”

Blaine chuckled.

_Okay, that child-like enthusiasm was probably a bit too much. Note to self: keep your flailing internal lest you scare him off._

“Can we take a coffee break together before you put me to work?” asked Tina.

_Good idea, I bet the other girls are parched and dying for a break as well. I should check whether I have some double-stuffed Oreos left. Store-bought cookies can’t measure up to my home-made chocolate chip cookies, but let’s face it; I haven’t had the time to bake lately._

“Sure,” said Kurt. “Let me go put a pot of coffee on.”

He turned to leave, but behind him he heard Blaine’s warm voice, laced with amusement, declaring there was no need for that.

Baffled, Kurt whipped his head around and saw that Blaine held a tray full of coffee cups. “You brought coffee?”

“And cheesecake,” Blaine announced.

_Cheesecake? Who told you I love cheesecake? Seriously, are you for real? I think I need to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. You couldn’t get any more perfect if you tried!_

And as much as Kurt wanted to tone down his rapture a little, his body betrayed him before his mind could catch up. One minute, he was gaping at Blaine in awe, the next his hands were taking the coffee tray and putting it back on the counter. [Then he pulled Blaine closer and kissed him passionately](https://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luyojkr0Qe1r47j7to4_r6_250.gif).

_Hmmm, his lips are just as soft as I remember. Okay, Kurt, that’s enough, don’t get carried away. You still have work to do and don’t forget that there are several curious girls in your workroom. Don’t give Santana any ammunition or she’ll be insufferable for the rest of the evening._

Kurt stepped away from Blaine, maintaining eye contact and smiling from ear to ear. “You are officially perfect,” he declared solemnly.

Blaine blushed prettily and a slow smile unfurled on his face.

_Okay, he’s not freaking out at my basically throwing myself at him, that’s good._

A loud whoop and catcall roused Kurt from his distraction.

_Leave it to Santana to ruin the moment … Ah well, she’s just happy for me, I guess._

“Oh, stuff it, Santana,” said Kurt half-heartedly. He took the coffee tray and went back to the workroom.

_Okay, introductions are in order._

“Okay, everyone, this is my boyfriend Blaine,” said Kurt, and listed the names of everyone present for Blaine’s benefit.

Sarah and Toby both grinned like Cheshire cats when they saw Blaine, and Santana managed to both praise and offend Blaine in one off-hand comment.

_Why can’t she behave herself just this once? Ah well, Blaine will get used to her soon enough …_

Blaine chuckled lightly.

_See, he’s not offended. He’s quite easy-going, really, stop worrying!_

When Kurt introduced Quinn, she gave Blaine a thorough once-over. Kurt bristled at her lingering eyes and blatant approval of Blaine’s looks.

_Mine!_

“Let’s go upstairs for our coffee break,” he said curtly, leading the way.

Blaine gave Kurt first pick of the desserts he brought. Kurt took a piece of delicious-looking cheesecake and a cup of coffee and tuned out the conversation going on around him to enjoy his afternoon snack. Ah, bliss!

When he’d finished both the coffee and the cake at his leisure, he heard they were talking about Naomi, and he agreed wholeheartedly that she was sweet and worth going that extra mile for.

He described the dress to Blaine, as it had been and as he wanted it to be, and Blaine listened attentively, nodding his approval.

“Has she shown you what shoes she plans to wear with the dress?” asked Blaine. “And what accessories?”

Kurt shook his head.

“You might want to ask her to bring them along for the next fitting, so that you get the overall look and can make adjustments if necessary,” advised Blaine.

_He’s right. Why didn’t I think of that?_

Blaine continued talking, something about the dress being Kurt’s creation and the accessories having to enhance it instead of detracting, but Kurt wasn’t listening closely. His mind was already overrun with possibilities. Why had he left his sketchpad downstairs?

He absently agreed with what Blaine was saying, taking a pencil stub out of his shirt pocket and drawing on a napkin. Definitely no hat, Naomi wasn’t a hat person. But he could see her wearing long gloves, with the same pearl buttons as on the back of the dress, and her hair should stay gloriously loose but with a diadem or rose-shaped hair pins to keep the curls out of her face. And should she wear a veil or not? Let’s try it both ways and see what looks best.

Roused from his fit of abstraction when chairs scraped and everyone took their plates and cups to the sink, he went downstairs again with the others. He sewed the last buttonhole, sewed all the buttons on and started pinning the taffeta roses onto the dress in the pattern he wanted. Then he handed the dress to Rachel for her to sew the roses on, and cut out a piece of sheer white chiffon the exact size of the train for himself to embroider with silver thread.

In the background, he could hear Blaine’s soothing voice giving homework instructions. He loved the homey feel of that.

A bit later, Blaine came to him to ask what he could get the children for supper. Kurt thought quickly and decided on grilled cheese sandwiches, positive that he had cheese slices and soft bread in the kitchen.

“Give them some cherry tomatoes to go with it, and a glass of milk,” Kurt told Blaine. “Not the skimmed milk you will find in the fridge, get the full-fat milk from the pantry. Children need whole milk. Want me to come upstairs with you and help you find everything?”

But Blaine shook his head and encouraged him to continue embroidering.

After the children’s supper, it seemed to be play time. They all lay on their bellies, Blaine in the middle, and Blaine seemed to be drawing pictures and telling a story at the same time. It was about a small boy joining a band of pirates and finding his courage and his long-lost father in the process, and once again, Kurt found himself as captivated as the children. Thankfully, his embroidering did not suffer as a consequence, though he had a narrow escape twice when he noticed an impending mistake just in time.

When the story came to an end, Sarah begged for another one, but Michael Junior asked Blaine to sing, and everyone chimed in with Mikey and requested their favourite songs.

After a few songs, though, it was clear that Toby was on the verge of falling asleep, and Rachel excused herself to go home. She came to say goodbye to Kurt, and whispered: “Well, he’ll certainly make an excellent dad for your children one day. He’s a natural.”

Kurt felt his blood rush to his cheeks, but he couldn’t deny that the thought intrigued him. What would his children look like if he fathered one and Blaine another? Would they look like that beautiful pencil sketch Blaine had made?

Tina and her sons left too. She hugged Blaine and whispered something to him. Then she waved to Kurt and took off.

That left only Santana, who was waiting for Brittany to return from her last dance lesson, and she got defensive, expecting to be kicked out any minute.

Kurt reassured her that he was planning on her staying for supper, and they went upstairs to heat up some of the Chinese food that was left. They also finished off the desserts Blaine had brought.

When they were all pleasantly full and a bit drowsy, Santana sat up a little straighter on the couch, with a gleam in her eye that promised no good, and started grilling Blaine.

Kurt felt a bit apprehensive, but Blaine seemed to take it in stride, [answering her questions as fast as she fired them off and never losing his smile](http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140507103527/glee/images/2/2a/Blaintana_blaine_santana_1wql2.gif).

Kurt learnt a lot about Blaine during that Spanish inquisition. Like that he did have a middle name - _yes, I believe my detective just acquired a name!_ \- and that he had an older and very handsome brother Kurt used to crush on in high school.

Santana seemed satisfied with the answers she got, though perhaps a bit disappointed that there wasn’t any juicy stuff about past relationships. Kurt was glad Blaine got Santana’s seal of approval. All of his girlfriends seemed to like Blaine. That was one hurdle taken.

_I wonder what my dad will think of him …_

Brittany showed up just after nine, and Kurt heated up some Chinese food for her, too, and filled her in on all that they had accomplished that afternoon. She told him Naomi and Greg’s wedding dance was shaping up nicely, though Greg still suffered from clumsy foot syndrome.

The girls left soon after, and at last, Kurt and Blaine were alone.

Kurt took Blaine’s hand and led him back to the couch.

_Finally, I have you to myself!_

“This is better than Skype,” he declared.

“So much better,” Blaine agreed with a deep sigh.

A thought crossed Kurt’s mind. “Tina said she drove you here.”

“Yes,” said Blaine. “I figured I could take a taxi back.”

_You’re planning on leaving so soon? Oh, no, no, no, you won’t!_

Kurt mustered his best “no nonsense and no arguments” tone and stated: “No, you’ve already spent enough money for the day. You can stay over here tonight and ride back to Westerville with Tina tomorrow morning. I have a fully stocked guest room with an en suite bathroom, and I daresay I can find you a pair of pyjamas that will fit you.”

Blaine looked at him with wide eyes. “Oh,” he simply said.

Kurt’s resolve crumpled. Had he been too forceful, dictating Blaine what to do? He backtracked quickly. “Unless … you’d rather go home, of course.”

Understanding dawned in Blaine’s eyes and he reached for Kurt’s hands, giving them a gentle squeeze. “No, no!”

The words tumbled out of his mouth with a gratifying urgency, and he stumbled on: “I just … I wasn’t expecting … I’ve never … I would very much like to stay. That gives me more time with you.”

_Glad I haven’t scared you off. And that’s exactly why I want you to stay. It’s annoying that we live two hours apart._

Blaine’s face lit up with a beautiful smile, and Kurt felt drawn to him as a moth to a flame. He shuffled a bit closer, and when Blaine leaned in for a kiss, Kurt closed the distance eagerly. He closed his eyes, reacquainting himself with the velvety soft feel of Blaine’s lips.

Blaine hummed softly, and then surprised Kurt by lying down and pulling Kurt on top of him, never breaking the kiss.

Blaine’s hands drew circles onto Kurt’s back, and that made Kurt both melt into a puddle because it was so tender and sweet, and shiver with how good it felt.

Blaine felt him shiver and sat up, looking around and then taking his cardigan off and wrapping it around Kurt. Then he buried himself under Kurt again and continued his caresses and kisses.

Kurt felt as though he could just float away with how happy and fulfilled he felt in that moment.

_You’re wonderful. You’re perfect. I’m so glad you’re here with me. You make me feel complete._


	28. Safe in Your Arms

“ _You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams_.” (Dr. Seuss)

They could have been [lying on the couch ](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/f2/31/22/f23122ac688530e05f8989bb59f98ea0.jpg)for hours or for days and Kurt wouldn’t have noticed the time passing. He was right where he wanted to be, with the man he wanted to be with, happily peppering his face and neck with kisses, playfully tugging at Blaine’s ear with his teeth and swiping his tongue over Blaine’s lips gently to demand entrance into his mouth. 

After a while, however, Blaine started squirming unhappily, his face contorted as if he was in pain.

“What is it, honey?” asked Kurt.

_Am I too heavy lying on top of him? Should I sit up?_

“Ever since I slept on the sofa Monday night, I’ve had a bit of neck and back trouble,” admitted Blaine, “And it’s playing up again. Sorry …”

Blaine sounded genuinely apologetic.

“Don’t worry about it,” smiled Kurt. “I say it’s time to go to bed. Come with me.”

Kurt went straight to his walk-in closet and picked out a pair of pyjamas for Blaine. Then he led the way to the bathroom, where he found a spare toothbrush, still in its packaging, for Blaine.

“When do you have to get up tomorrow?” asked Kurt. “I could set my alarm clock for you.”

“Tina usually leaves for Westerville at 6.30 AM,” answered Blaine. “She doesn’t live far from here, does she?”

“No,” said Kurt, “The Changs live two blocks over, right next to the dance studio.”

“Then I’d get up at 6 AM,” said Blaine. “I don’t need much time to get ready in the morning, and I usually take some breakfast to go. We can stop at the Lima Bean.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow. “You do know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right?”

But Blaine had his phone out and was typing a text, presumably to Tina, and didn’t pay attention to what Kurt was saying.

When Blaine tucked his phone away again, Kurt returned to the problem at hand.

“You can either take a hot shower to relax those neck and back muscles, or I could work the knots out for you,” Kurt offered.

Blaine’s eyes widened and he seemed momentarily speechless.

_Uh-oh … Was I being too forward?_

“Please don’t freak out,” Kurt pleaded. “I didn’t mean … I’d do it over the clothes, of course, and I wouldn’t touch anything other than your back and neck.”

One corner of Blaine’s mouth kicked up.

Emboldened, Kurt continued: “I used to give my dad a back rub when he came home stiff and sore after working the whole day, and I’ve given Rachel and Mercedes massages too, when we had sleep-overs in high school.”

The other corner kicked up too.

Kurt blustered on: “I mean … It’s not … You don’t have to worry …”

And then he stopped talking altogether, because Blaine was laughing, a full-out belly laugh that startled Kurt but made his stomach flutter all the same with how beautiful that sound was and how much he wanted to hear that over and over again.

“That was …” Blaine gasped out between loud guffaws, “…priceless.”

_What? You’re making fun of me?_

Kurt didn’t like being laughed at, much less by his boyfriend, and started ripping open the packaged toothbrush with quite unnecessary vigour, composing a few sarcastic retorts in his head he was ready to fling at Blaine as soon as he stopped cackling.

[But Blaine forestalled him by sliding his arms around Kurt’s waist and sweetly kissing him on the lips](http://www.ew.com/sites/default/files/styles/tout_image_612x380/public/i/2014/04/01/glee-you-make-me-feel-so-young_612x380_0.jpg?itok=Xf2o2R0L).

“I’m sorry, love, that was mean. I know you’re not out to corrupt my virtue. I was just a bit taken aback by the offer and got caught up in the images my brain instantly supplied.”

“Oh”, said Kurt, melting into Blaine’s gentle touch.

_Images? What images?_

“Of course, now you won’t want to give me a back rub anymore, I’m sure,” continued Blaine. “That’s okay. I’ll take a quick shower and head to your guest room.”

Kurt considered for a moment, then said: “No, the offer still stands. If you tell me what you were thinking when I offered.”

Blaine blushed but complied. “I was picturing lying face down on a bed, naked from the waist up, and you straddling me and running your hands all over me.”

_Oh wow! Now I really want to do that. Can we do that? Pretty please?_

Kurt felt his blood rush in two different directions, and realised he was gaping at Blaine like a fish.

He closed his mouth and turned to open one of the bathroom cabinets. He took out a bottle of almond oil, grabbed a large towel and steered Blaine towards his bedroom.

Kurt took the comforter off the bed, spread the towel open over the sheets and turned to Blaine.

“If … If you’re up for it,” Kurt hesitated, “I’d like to do just what you imagined.”

Blaine’s eyes went wide again. Then he beamed. He toed off his shoes, took off his shirt and undershirt at record speed and clambered onto the bed, lying down on his stomach with a sigh.

“Eager, are we?” chuckled Kurt. “I seem to remember you love head rubs, too. Is that the way to your heart, Mr Anderson?”

Blaine didn’t speak. He just turned on his side, giving Kurt come-hither eyes and slowly crooking his finger to beckon him.

Kurt’s mouth went dry, and everything he was planning to say flew right out of his head. He swallowed.

_Wow, he’s so unbelievably gorgeous like this._

Blaine’s eyes reminded Kurt of molten lava, and his lashes - long, luxurious and incredibly distracting - made Kurt wonder what they would feel like on his skin.

_Okay, back rub. Right._

He climbed onto the bed, took the cap off of the bottle of oil and put both the cap and the bottle on his nightstand. Then he tentatively positioned himself on top of Blaine, who grunted in pain when Kurt sat down on his back.

“Sorry, sorry!” chanted Kurt. He quickly scooted back a little, so that his weight was on Blaine’s hips instead of his lower back.

“Better?” he asked.

“Hmmm,” hummed Blaine.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” smiled Kurt.

_Just look at you. The word sexy doesn’t even cut it. One day, I want to kiss every inch of you. But for now, I’m thrilled to get to touch your bare skin._

He poured some oil into the palm of his hand and warmed it up a little before spreading it over Blaine’s back.

He kneaded Blaine’s neck and shoulders, really digging in his fingers to find the nerve centres and remove all the knots. When Blaine’s shoulders finally sagged in relaxation, he went lower, gently at first, drawing big figure eights, his hands at opposite sides so that he never left any part of Blaine’s back unattended. Then, his hands flat and hard against Blaine’s skin, he travelled up and down his spine, really exerting pressure and gradually widening it out, paying special attention to the lower back.

Blaine was incredibly responsive to his touch, alternately sighing and moaning in contentment and grunting when Kurt got to a painful knotted muscle. When Blaine’s lower back was knot-free at last, his body went completely pliant under Kurt’s caresses, and his breathing evened out.

“Are you falling asleep on me again?” asked Kurt after a while.

He got no answer, and when he scooted off Blaine’s back and checked on him, Blaine’s eyes were closed, his thick black lashes fanning his cheeks, his mouth relaxed, with his lips slightly parted.

_I guess that answers my question … Aw, he looks so cute when he’s asleep._

Kurt fetched another towel and gently patted Blaine’s back dry. Then he spread the comforter over Blaine and went back to the bathroom for his evening ablutions.

He set his alarm for 6 AM and got into bed, gently pushing Blaine, who was lying spread-eagled in the middle, a bit to the side. Blaine didn’t wake, but latched onto him instinctively, slinging his arm around Kurt’s waist and pulling him closer until they were spooning.

Kurt thrilled to Blaine’s possessive touch and snuggled contentedly into his embrace, too keyed up to sleep but so glad with how the day had gone.

After a while, Blaine’s warm closeness and soft breathing lulled Kurt to sleep, his last conscious thought “ _I could get used to this”._


	29. Floating on Air

“ _Like before, it was as if the touch of his skin, his lips, his hands, was sinking right through my smooth, hard skin and into my new bones. To the very core of my body._ ” (Stephenie Meyer, _Breaking Dawn_ )

Blaine winced. As much as he loved cuddling up to Kurt and kissing him, his neck and back were protesting violently, warning him not to attempt falling asleep on the couch again, and admonishing him to please get up and move this to a comfortable bed.

Kurt picked up on his discomfort quickly. “What is it, honey?”

Blaine preened at the term of endearment. He explained that his back and neck were troubling him, still stiff from Monday night.

Kurt smiled and announced that it was bedtime. He got up from the couch and held out his hand to help up Blaine too. He fetched some sleepwear for Blaine from his closet and then they went to the bathroom together.

Kurt found Blaine a new toothbrush and a fresh towel, and discussed with him when they would have to get up the following morning.

Blaine knew that Tina and her sons usually left for Westerville at 6.30 AM, and she lived close to Kurt’s place, so he thought 6 AM would be early enough.

_Oh! Tina! I’ve got to text her and ask her if I can catch a ride back to Westerville with her tomorrow morning!_

**To Tay-Tay:**

Tay-Tay, sweetie, can I ride back to Westerville with you and the boys tomorrow morning?

**To Blaine_Warbler:**

Oooh, Blainey Days! Are you staying the night at Kurt’s?

**To Blaine_Warbler:**

Yes, of course you can come with us, honey. We always love your company.

**To Blaine_Warbler:**

Be there bright and early at 6.30 AM! Nighty-night xxx

**To Tay-Tay:**

I’ll be there :-) Sweet dreams xxx

When Blaine tucked his phone away again, Kurt turned to him and said: “You can either take a hot shower to relax those neck and back muscles, or I could work the knots out for you.”

_Seriously? You’d give me a massage? Straddle me and run your hands all over my bare skin? Oh, yes please!_

Kurt seemed to take Blaine’s momentary distraction as hesitation and maybe even disapproval. He hastened to explain himself further, assuring Blaine that it wasn’t a sexual offer by any means, that he gave this kind of back rubs to his dad and his girlfriends.

_As if I’d mind if you wanted to jump my bones, baby._

As Kurt got ever more flustered, Blaine felt a helpless laugh bubbling up in the pit of his stomach, and suddenly he couldn’t keep it in any longer, clutching his sides and wiping away tears of mirth.

Kurt shut up abruptly and stared at Blaine, perplexed, [which only made him laugh harder](http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_md9w25b88y1rpsp36.gif).

“That was …” Blaine gasped out, breathless with laughter, “…priceless.”

[Kurt’s brows knitted together ominously](http://rophydoes.com/images/glee/306/040.jpg), and he opened the package that held Blaine’s new toothbrush with jerky angry movements, clearly incensed.

_Uh-oh. Don’t be mad at me please …_

Blaine snaked his arms around Kurt’s waist and kissed him lingeringly until the anger disappeared from his eyes. Then he apologised handsomely, explaining that Kurt had surprised him by offering a back rub and that the very mention of it had conjured up all sorts of indecent thoughts.

_He doesn’t say anything. Is he still mad at me?_

“Of course, now you won’t want to give me a back rub anymore, I’m sure,” continued Blaine. “That’s okay. I’ll take a quick shower and head to your guest room.”

Kurt seemed to think it over, then said: “No, the offer still stands. If you tell me what you were thinking when I offered.”

Blaine felt his cheeks heat up but told Kurt honestly what he’d been picturing.

Kurt seemed intrigued, his mouth falling open into a perfect O, his breath coming a little faster and his face flushing.

_He clearly likes the vision I’ve painted for him. Does that mean he’d agree to do the massage my way? I really want to feel his hands on my skin._

Kurt took a moment to come back to reality. Then he gathered some supplies and tugged Blaine along to one of the bedrooms, where he stripped the bed and laid a towel on it.

When the preparations were complete, he turned to Blaine, twisting his fingers nervously.

“If … If you’re up for it,” Kurt hesitated, his voice impossibly high but eager, “I’d like to do just what you imagined.”

_Oh, yes!_

Blaine grinned from ear to ear and only just managed to repress the urge to pump his fist into the air in triumph, electing instead to get undressed as fast as he could. His cardigan was already off. That left just his shoes, his shirt and his undershirt. As soon as those articles of clothing were off, he pretty much dived onto the bed, and sighed in happy anticipation. He remembered Kurt gently massaging his head on Monday. This was going to be so much better still …

“Eager, are we?” chuckled Kurt. “I seem to remember you love head rubs, too. Is that the way to your heart, Mr Anderson?”

_Teasing, are we? Well, two can play that game …_

Blaine turned on his side, giving Kurt the most smouldering look and devilish smile he could pull off, and crooked his index finger in a ‘come here’ gesture.

It worked like a charm. Kurt’s smiled vanished instantly. His eyes grew larger and darker, until they resembled a twilit sky, and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, drawing Blaine’s attention to the tempting creamy expanse of his neck.

_Come here, baby. Touch me. I’m all yours._

Kurt hesitated another while, gazing deep into Blaine’s eyes, seemingly captivated. Then he climbed onto the bed. Blaine resumed his original position, his head on his arms and his eyes following Kurt’s every move.

Kurt had brought some massage oil that smelled lovely and sweet as soon as he took the cap off the bottle.

Then he disappeared from Blaine’s view, and a moment later Blaine couldn’t help protesting when Kurt put all of his weight on Blaine’s lower back, causing the dull pain he’d felt there since Monday to flare up with a vengeance.

Kurt started, apologised and moved back until he was straddling Blaine’s hips instead. That felt a lot better, and Blaine relaxed again.

He felt Kurt spreading the sweet-smelling oil evenly over his back with a feather-light touch that made him shiver a little.

Then Kurt moved his hands to Blaine’s neck and shoulders, and he didn’t hold back, finding all the sore spots that bothered Blaine and making the pain and the stiffness disappear with his nimble fingers.

When his neck was a pain-free zone at last, Kurt went lower, working the oil into the skin of Blaine’s back gently, his hands making big loops like they were driving an F1 circuit. Gradually, Kurt increased the pressure, working out all the knots he found, especially in Blaine’s lower back, and paying attention to every last inch of his skin.

Blaine was in heaven. Seriously, he couldn’t remember if he’d ever felt this good in his entire life. The pain he’d experienced for days was all gone, and now he felt so light and unwound and cared for and totally blissed out that it seemed like he was floating on air.

Every touch of Kurt’s brought him closer to a trance-like state, managing no more than an occasional sigh or moan at the incredible sensation of Kurt’s hands caressing his skin.

_I love how soft your hands are. Almost as soft as your lips._

And that’s how Blaine slowly drifted off to sleep, with thoughts of Kurt’s lips in the places his hands had been roaming, and Blaine’s hands running all over Kurt.

_Ah, bliss!_


	30. Good Morning

“… _but she did sleep in the end, briefly, and woke up in wonderment because she understood now what people meant when they said: ‘She slept with him.’ That it was part of the act of love, this sharing of oblivion_.” (Eva Ibbotson, _The Morning Gift_ )

Blaine was woken up in the morning by his bladder. It was full to bursting point and clearly not in the mood to be kept waiting for relief any longer. He didn’t feel like getting up, though. The bed was so warm and cosy and he’d been having a wonderful dream. He could still feel it beckoning him back in from the edges of his subconscious, and he knew he would fall straight back into it as soon as sleep overtook him again.

He’d dreamt about Kurt. That much he knew. [They had been in bed together, just like they were now ](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2ohvfgg9V1r5fs5bo1_r2_500.jpg)… Wait … What?

Blaine opened his eyes and blinked a few times to clear his head.

Yes, he hadn’t been hallucinating just now. Kurt was in bed with him, sleeping peacefully tucked into his side. Blaine was lying on his back, holding Kurt around the waist, and Kurt had his head on Blaine’s chest, an arm slung over it, and one of his legs was slotted between Blaine’s.

It felt so good and so instantly right that Blaine would have been content to stay like that for days on end. His bladder had other ideas, though, urging him to get up and find a bathroom, stat!

He gently extricated himself from Kurt’s embrace, tucked him back in carefully so that he wouldn’t get cold, and padded off to the bathroom as silently as he could, picking his shirt off the floor on his way out.

He checked his watch and saw that it was nearly 5.30 AM. No use in going back to sleep then. He brushed his teeth and washed his face, putting his shirt on for warmth but not buttoning it up, as he still had to shower. He found his cardigan on the back of the couch and put that on too. Then he went to the kitchen to prepare some blueberry pancake batter, press oranges for fresh juice and make coffee.

_With beans? Really, Kurt? Why do you go to all the trouble of grinding coffee beans every day if you can use an espresso machine to get a far superior result in a fraction of that time?_

In spite of his scepticism, though, he enjoyed grinding the beans, the powerful aroma coming free a more than adequate reward for the effort it took.

When the coffee had finally dripped through, he poured himself a cup and took a tentative sip. His eyebrows flew up in surprised appreciation.

_Oh, so THAT’s why you make coffee the old-fashioned way. This is so good!_

He finished his cup of coffee and made the pancakes, dividing them over two plates and swirling a liberal amount of maple syrup on top.

He found a tray in one of the top cabinets, though he had to climb half onto the counter to grab it, and put the two plates onto it, with two glasses of orange juice, two cups of coffee and the necessary cutlery. No room for anything else. If Kurt took cream or sugar in his coffee, he’d come and fetch it later, Blaine decided.

He checked his watch again. Seven minutes to six. Perfect. He took the tray to the bedroom, put it on the nightstand, took his cardigan and shirt back off and slid under the covers, snuggling up to Kurt’s sleep-warm body.

Kurt started, shivering violently. He grumbled and tried to push Blaine away, but Blaine only snuggled in closer, trailing soft kisses from the nape of Kurt’s neck to his shoulder. Next, he let his lips travel over Kurt’s jaw, up, up, up until he reached Kurt’s earlobe and gently nibbled it.

Kurt sighed softly, and Blaine could feel him waking up, little by little. His pliant body became tauter, more alert. His heart rate sped up. His eyelashes fluttered, and after a while he opened his eyes, though Blaine could tell he wasn’t fully awake yet. Not a morning person then. Duly noted.

“Wha… What time is it?” Kurt asked groggily.

“Good morning, sweetheart. It’s nearly six o’clock,” answered Blaine, cupping Kurt’s face with both hands and capturing his lips sweetly.

Kurt kissed him back for a second, then recoiled in horror, seeming much more awake all of a sudden. “Blaine! I haven’t even brushed my teeth yet! That’s just revolting! I have morning breath!”

Kurt sat up, threw the comforter off and was about to get off the bed when Blaine pulled him back by the waist. “Hey, hey, none of that, please. I want some cuddles and kisses in bed before we both regrettably have to get up and leave for work, and I don’t care about morning breath in the least. You taste just fine to me.”

Blaine took the tray and deposited it carefully onto the bed. “If it helps, though, I have both coffee and orange juice here. You can drink some of that and give your breath a different flavour.”

Kurt looked at the tray, and then back at Blaine, clearly speechless.

“Coffee? Juice?” Blaine asked.

Kurt swallowed. “You … You made me breakfast?”

“I made us breakfast, yes,” said Blaine. “I woke up half an hour ago and figured I might as well make myself useful.”

Kurt blinked at him owlishly, looking adorably sleep-mussed, flushed and still disoriented. Then, when it seemed to sink in, he repeated: “You made me breakfast.”

“Yes,” Blaine chuckled, pecking him on the nose.

A beautiful smile dawned on Kurt’s lips, lighting up his features like a sunrise, and he took Blaine’s face in both hands and kissed him soundly. “Thank you. You’re amazing.”

They ate the pancakes in companionable silence, punctuated with an occasional kiss or caress, enjoying this moment together.

Then Blaine called dibs on the shower, since he had to leave soon. He showered, dressed and arranged his hair as fast as he could, since he hadn’t planned on eating breakfast and was short on time.

He kissed Kurt goodbye, put his coat and shoes on and was halfway down the stairs to the shop when he felt arms envelop him from behind and lips on his neck, his ear, his cheek. He turned around, wrapped his arms around Kurt and kissed him thoroughly and lingeringly. Then he reluctantly let go and said: “Sorry, love, but if I don’t leave now, Tina will drive to Westerville without me.”

Kurt pouted and Blaine leaned in to kiss the pout away, then turned around and sped off with a cheery “Bye honey, have a nice day!”

_Wouldn’t I like every morning to be like this … I feel so at home with Kurt already._

K&B

[Blaine arrived at Tina’s place with three minutes to spare, and helped bundle the children up in their coats, hats, scarves and gloves](http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/32900000/blaine-and-tina-4x09-tina-cohen-chang-32978965-724-408.jpg).

“Well?” asked Tina as she was strapping Michael Junior into his car seat, while Blaine was doing the same for Henry.

She scoffed at the innocent look Blaine gave her.

“Don’t pretend nothing happened,” she insisted. “You staid the night, so there must be something juicy you can tell me.”

Blaine got into the passenger seat and buckled up, smiling to himself.

Tina put her hands on her hips. “If you’re planning on being secretive, you can get out of my car and find some other means of transport.”

_I guess Tina isn’t much of a morning person either …_

Blaine held his hands up in a placating gesture. “Hey, hey, no need to get all riled up. I was just deciding where to start the story.”

He told Tina about Santana grilling him after supper.

“She takes some getting used to,” nodded Tina, “But she’s a fierce and loyal friend once you have her on your side.”

Then he told her about the kissing, the backrub, waking up next to Kurt and making him breakfast.

“Wow,” she sighed. “Those days are long gone for Mike and me. Don’t get me wrong, I love him and we suit each other perfectly, but sometimes I miss those sweet gestures you do for Kurt. We had that in the beginning, too, but now, we tend to take each other too much for granted, I guess. Maybe I should make more of an effort. Try and rekindle the flame. You and Kurt can be my inspiration.”

“Happy to be of service, ma’am,” smiled Blaine, as he doffed an imaginary hat.

Tina looked at him, her eyes soft. “It’s lovely to see you so happy, Bling-Bling. You’ve always put on a brave face, but I know it must have stung to be the odd man out everywhere. All your friends are in a relationship and all your colleagues as well. I’m so glad you two lonely souls have found your match now. Kurt has been alone and unhappy for a long time, too. He could have had a boyfriend before, if he’d wanted to, but he’s so scared. He doesn’t trust easily. So whatever you do, never lie to him. Even about silly little things. Never lie, because he won’t forgive nor forget and it will ruin your relationship.”

Blaine nodded thoughtfully. “I won’t. I promise.”

“And don’t push him to open up to you,” advised Tina. “He’s been through a lot, and he doesn’t like to relive his bad memories. If he tells you of his own accord, so much the better, but don’t force him, okay?”

Blaine hummed his assent. He took his phone out and composed a message:

**To: Kurt Hummel**

Thanks for letting me stay the night. I had a lovely time.

**To: Kurt Hummel**

Good luck with the dress today. Let me know how you’re getting on.

**To: Kurt Hummel**

And did I thank you for the back rub yet? It was amazing!

**To: Kurt Hummel**

You’re a miracle worker. The pain is entirely gone.

**To: Kurt Hummel**

So thank you very much! Let me know if I can repay the favour sometime.

**To: Kurt Hummel**

See you on Skype tonight? xoxo


	31. Breakfast in Bed

“ _And then Joe came in and said, morning all, and he sat down, pulling Tess’s plate over, tucking into her breakfast, mashing the egg onto the toast and taking hearty swigs of her tea._

 _‘Morning,’ she said, trying not to let a grin spoil her mock indignation_.” (Freya North, _Secrets_ )

_Kurt was lying on a blanket in Central Park, soaking up the sun. He’d brought Blaine here for a picnic, and now, after having consumed a spread worthy of a three-star restaurant, they were both dozing off. Suddenly, a cold breeze chilled Kurt to the bone, and was that a bottle of chilled water against his leg? He tried to roll away, but the cold enveloped him. And then he felt lips on his neck, his shoulder, his cheek, his ear. Blaine? Why was he so cold? Had he gone swimming in the Lasker Pool?_

Kurt shivered and sighed, making a supreme effort to open his eyes. He wasn’t in Central Park and there wasn’t any sun. He was in his bedroom, and it was dark. The only light came from the living room and kitchen area. Blaine was lying next to him and was pressing lazy kisses everywhere he could reach. His body was slowly warming up now that it was pressed against Kurt’s, but it still made Kurt’s skin erupt in goose bumps, and not in a nice way. However, the loving smile Blaine sent his way made his stomach flutter and made contentment steal over him again.

“Wha… What time is it?” asked Kurt, suppressing a yawn.

It couldn’t be six o’clock already, could it? Apparently, it could, and it was, according to a bright and chipper Blaine, [who pulled him in close and kissed him on the lips](http://static.tumblr.com/de8igku/IAZlwq2jh/tumblr_ludqjvoww21qcxjdc.gif).

_How can he be so alert and awake and cheerful so early in the morning? And how can it be morning already? I don’t want Blaine to leave yet, we haven’t had enough time together. Hmm, this is nice!_

And then his brain caught up with his body, and he pulled away from the kiss as fast as he could, clapping a hand over his mouth and lamenting the fact that he hadn’t had time to brush his teeth yet and that he must have horrible morning breath.

He was just about to sprint off to the bathroom when Blaine [grabbed him by the waist to keep him in bed and requested cuddles and kisses](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcisrbjMa01r5fs5bo1_500.jpg) before he had to leave.

Blaine firmly denied that Kurt’s mouth tasted odd, but offered him some coffee or juice to drink if that made him feel better.

_Wait … What? Come to think of it, it does smell like coffee in here._

Kurt located the smell to a tray on his bed. It held two cups of coffee, two glasses of orange juice, and two plates of pancakes. Had Blaine made all of this?

Apparently, he had. That explained why Blaine had felt so cold when he got back into bed.

_Wow. And just when I thought Blaine couldn’t get any more perfect …_

Blaine chuckled at Kurt’s half-asleep statements, lightly kissing him on the nose.

His tenderness and thoughtfulness made Kurt smile radiantly and kiss Blaine in thanks.

_What a way to wake up! Who’d have thought I’d ever be glad to be woken at six in the morning?_

They both sat Indian-style on the bed and enjoyed their food, leaning towards each other every now and then to steal a kiss or trail their fingers over the other’s arm or leg.

Kurt was impressed by the breakfast Blaine had put together. The orange juice was clearly freshly pressed, the coffee wasn’t his usual instant quick-fix, but made from freshly ground coffee beans, the kind that he kept in one of his bottom cabinets for weekends or company or festive occasions, and the pancakes were made to perfection and had blueberries in them.

He wasn’t used to being nurtured and cared for like this. His mom had died when he was eight. After that, he’d practically grown up on a film set. He lived with his uncle and aunt, and though they were kind and loving, they worked crazy hours and raised Kurt to be independent. They never took the time to cook, not even on weekends, preferring to dine out or order in.

He liked cooking, though, having fond memories of sitting on the counter next to his mom while she prepared dinner, so he taught himself, with a little help from cooking programmes on television. He quickly picked up other useful skills as well: housecleaning because he was a neat freak and the hired help was not, and laundry and ironing because he didn’t want anyone to ruin his designer clothes.

When he moved back to Lima, his dad proved to be a lousy cook, so he took over the kitchen until Carole and Finn moved in, and even then he cooked more often than Carole.

He could take care of himself, and he did, but he couldn’t help but thrill to Blaine’s pampering. It gave him such a warm feeling inside.

All too soon, their plates and cups were empty and Blaine headed for the shower. Kurt put the tray on his nightstand and lay back down on the bed with a dreamy smile on his face, which grew even broader when he realised the pillow smelled like Blaine.

Fifteen minutes later, Blaine was fully dressed and headed out after a last kiss. Kurt watched him go down the stairs, and got the sudden craving to have Blaine in his arms one last time before he left, so he ran down taking two stairs at a time, threw his arms around Blaine and trailed a string of kisses from his neck to his ear.

Blaine turned around, hugged him back and kissed him deeply. Then he let Kurt go with regret in his eyes and said he had to run or else he’d be late.

Kurt felt his bottom lip protrude of its own accord. Blaine noticed and tenderly kissed his pout away. Then he ran off with a wave, shouting “Bye honey, have a nice day!” for all the world as if they were married and this was their daily morning ritual.

_Maybe someday. It’s scary that last week I didn’t even know Blaine yet, and now I can already picture our happily ever after. He suits me so well._

Kurt went back upstairs and got ready for the day, humming happily in spite of the early hour.

When he was combing his hair, he heard his phone chime, and went to fetch it. He had six messages from Blaine.

**From: Blaine Anderson**

Thanks for letting me stay the night. I had a lovely time.

_So did I … You can stay over any time you like, honey._

**From: Blaine Anderson**

Good luck with the dress today. Let me know how you’re getting on.

_Thanks for reminding me to stop daydreaming and get on with my work. I needed that._

**To: Kurt Hummel**

And did I thank you for the back rub yet? It was amazing!

_It sure was … I would never have guessed you’d have such an incredible toned body under that dapper façade of yours._

**To: Kurt Hummel**

You’re a miracle worker. The pain is entirely gone.

_That’s good, I guess, though I wouldn’t have minded giving it another go._

**To: Kurt Hummel**

So thank you very much! Let me know if I can repay the favour sometime.

_I’ll hold you to that!_

**To: Kurt Hummel**

See you on Skype tonight? xoxo

_Not planning on coming to see me again then? Well, I suppose you have lessons to prepare … Still, Skyping is better than nothing. And it’s almost weekend. Aaargh, it’s almost weekend! Get your lazy ass to the workroom and start working on Naomi’s dress!_

He hurried downstairs, composing a few texts to answer Blaine.

**To: Blaine Anderson**

You’re welcome here anytime. Glad your back feels better.

**To: Blaine Anderson**

Thanks for all the lovely food and your delightful company.

**To: Blaine Anderson**

Skype date at 9 PM? See you then! xoxo


	32. Invitations

“‘ _Off we go to prison camp!’ yelled Victoria. ‘Oh, and listen, don’t expect Ernst for lunch. He’s been invited to our place. Mom is staying at home today; she wants to meet the man of my life._ ’” (Susie Morgenstern, _Lettres d’amour de 0 à 10_ , my own translation, as I’m not sure this book exists in English)

Kurt was feeling confident that the dress would be ready in time. The embroidery on the chiffon was done and he was now stitching it onto the hot pink train, while Rachel, who had come in to continue sewing the roses onto the lower part, was heating up lasagne Kurt had plucked out of his freezer for lunch.

[Santana had just dropped in](http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140512212658/glee/images/b/be/Kurt_odnt_12_hummelpezberry.jpg) and promised to embroider some more roses on the jacket if Kurt provided food first for her and Brittany, who’d arrive as soon as her dance lesson was over. So Kurt ran up the stairs to add some soup and garlic bread to the menu, so as to stretch it to four people.

Lunch was as loud and crazy and enjoyable as the Hudmel’s Friday Dinners, for Carole had heard from Rachel about Kurt redoing the wedding dress and, fearing her stepson would work non-stop and forget to eat, came to the shop with Burt and Finn in tow, carrying a chicken casserole.

And of course Blaine was the main conversation topic. How he’d turned up out of the blue yesterday, bringing coffee and dessert and sweeping Kurt off his feet, according to Santana. How sweet and pretty he was and how happy he made Kurt, according to Brittany. How handsome and charming he was, and how well he sang, according to Rachel.

Finn scowled with all his might as Rachel went into raptures about Blaine and seemed to resolve then and there to hate Kurt’s boyfriend forever more.

[Burt wore a matching scowl](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/df/2d/85/df2d85304e8756e9f38b0d59782e6b98.jpg), muttering that he didn’t care for smarmy pretty boys and asking Kurt why he hadn’t mentioned this boyfriend of his before. “Bring him to dinner at our place tomorrow. If you have a boyfriend, I want to meet him and tell him to treat you right.”

“Yeah, me too,” nodded Finn, cracking his knuckles ominously. That earned him a glare from both Rachel and Kurt.

Kurt hurried to placate his dad by saying that it was a very recent development, and that he had been too preoccupied with work to call or stop by, but that he had intended to tell him about Blaine as soon as possible.

_I hadn’t planned for Blaine to ‘meet the parents’ yet, though. Will he be up for it? Finn had better behave himself though, or he’ll regret it. I won’t let him mess with Blaine._

Carole tactfully changed the topic to the wedding dress Kurt was working on, and went downstairs with Kurt to the workroom to gush over it.

Naomi turned up just as the Hudmels were leaving, and Carole told Burt she wanted to stay until she’d seen Naomi try the dress on. She squealed in delight when she saw the bride-to-be in all her glory, and both Naomi and Kurt were very pleased as well with the revamped dress, Kurt thinking _That’s more like it_.

Kurt had texted Naomi to ask her to bring her wedding shoes and other accessories. She brought only the shoes, not having decided on anything else, and gave Kurt free rein. The shoes, thankfully, had been chosen by her mother, and suited the dress perfectly, so no worries there.

Kurt explained what accessories he had in mind: the long gloves he’d already drawn and cut the fabric for, and either a diadem or hair pins, and maybe a veil?

Naomi vetoed the veil, and said she liked the hair pin option best, but where would she get the rose-shaped pins at such short notice?

Kurt’s face lit up, and he called Brittany. “Britt, sweetie, could you come here for a moment?”

He explained the hairpin idea to Brittany, and she nodded excitedly and ran to the door. “Just let me go fetch my materials. I’ll be right back!”

Naomi looked at Kurt, nonplussed. He grinned at her. “Brittany loves to make jewellery. Earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, brooches and hair pins. She makes it all herself, and it looks gorgeous. She has a whole assortment of wire, charms, gemstones and beads that she works with. She’ll be making these roses with silver-plated craft wire and white and pale pink seed beads, and then it’s quite easy to attach them to any hair pins you have at home, with a loop you can tighten. It’s going to be lovely. If you want, you can help make them, she’ll teach you.”

Brittany returned with her supplies and minutes later, she was showing Naomi how to thread the tiny beads onto the wire and how to make the wire loops. By the time Brittany had to leave for her next dance lesson, Naomi had gotten the hang of it and continued all by herself.

Santana left when the jacket was fully embroidered, scoffing at Kurt when he hugged her fiercely and said he would be forever in her debt.

Before Santana left, though, Naomi invited both her and Brittany to the wedding. “I owe you so much, all of you, so I want everyone who helped me out to come. So Rachel, you too. And you, Kurt. And tell Quinn and Tina that they’re invited as well, will you? And you can bring a plus one. Don’t worry, I already told my mom, and she’s perfectly okay with it. There are going to be more than three hundred guests anyway, a few more or less won’t make much difference.”

Rachel went to fetch her children at around 3 PM, and Kurt thanked her profusely and assured her he could manage without her help from now on. The jacket was done, as were the gloves, and the dress only needed a few finishing touches.

As soon as she had constructed enough wire roses for the hair pins, Naomi left as well, citing another dance lesson and some much-needed quality time with her fiancé before he left for his bachelor party. It wasn’t just a party but an entire biker trip, and he would be leaving later that night and wouldn’t be back until Saturday morning. Her own bachelorette party was being organised by her sisters, and was sure to be meticulously planned and perfect in every way but positively boring.

Naomi was to come back to the shop the next day to fetch the finished dress, jacket and accessories, as it wouldn’t do for the groom to see his bride’s apparel before the wedding ceremony. She promised to bring official wedding invitations for Kurt and the whole gang.

Kurt continued working until 8.30 PM. Then he went upstairs, made himself a sandwich and ate it with the soup left over from lunch. He took his laptop with him to the couch, where he put the TV on and zapped through channels until he found a ‘Four Weddings’ episode he hadn’t seen before, and watched it until it was nearly nine o’clock. He logged in on Skype and waited for Blaine to call him, which he did moments later.

Kurt was glad to see his boyfriend again. Blaine looked tired after his school day, but his smile was bright and so warm that it felt like a caress.

“Hey sweetie,” said Kurt.

“Hey honey,” answered Blaine. “How’s the dress coming on?”

“Oh, fantastic,” Kurt assured him. “It’s as good as finished.”

He explained about the day’s work and told him about his parents coming for lunch unexpectedly.

“And that reminds me,” Kurt continued. “My dad wants you to come to dinner at his place tomorrow night. Our Friday dinners are a tradition. Finn and his family will be there as well, and everyone wants to meet you. I’m warning you though. My dad’s very protective of me and might be kind of gruff and unwelcoming at first, and Finn’s mad at you because Rachel sang your praises at lunch.”

“I see …” Blaine looked uncertain and a bit scared for a moment, and then grinned. “I’m looking forward to it. What would your stepmother prefer: flowers or chocolate?”

Kurt chuckled. “You always come bearing gifts, don’t you? I’d go with the flowers, if I were you. Carole loves warm colours, so an autumn bouquet would be just the thing.”

“Duly noted,” said Blaine. “Wow. Meeting the parents already.”

“I know,” sighed Kurt. “I thought exactly the same thing when my dad brought it up. But then I said to myself, well, better to get it over with. If my crazy family scares you off, better now than in six months or so.”

“Not a chance,” declared Blaine. “I survived Santana, didn’t I? So I’m sure I can deal with whatever your dad and Finn throw at me. And I’m in this for the long haul, so I don’t mind meeting your family straight off the bat. I’ll get used to them soon enough, and if they don’t like me straightaway, it will grow.”

Kurt nodded. “And I have a second invitation to extend to you. Naomi, the girl I’m making this dress for, has invited me and my helpers to her wedding, and we get to bring a guest. So, would you please accompany me on Saturday?”

Blaine grinned from ear to ear. “I love weddings. Yes, I’ll come with you, gladly. The ceremony and the reception take place in a hotel not very far from where I live, so you can come to my apartment first, and we can walk to the venue together.”

“Okay,” agreed Kurt. “Do you have a tux?”

Blaine nodded. “A black one, with a burgundy bowtie.”

“That sounds perfect,” approved Kurt. “Okay, I can see you’re tired, so I won’t keep you up. Let’s just finalize our plans for tomorrow, and then say goodnight. Usually, Friday night dinner is at 7 PM, so as to not make it too late for the children. So if you were at my place at 6.30 PM, that would be perfect.”

“Six thirty,” Blaine repeated. “I’ll be there.”

“Alright, sweetie,” said Kurt. “Sweet dreams and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

_I so want to kiss you right now. It’s torture to see you without being able to touch you._

“Sweet dreams, honey,” answered Blaine, and sent Kurt an air kiss and a breath-taking smile.

The screen went black, and Kurt sighed. It was frustrating to have a boyfriend who lived two hours away. He took his phone and composed a few texts.

**To: Blaine Anderson**

This is going to sound weird, but I’m going to have a hard time falling asleep without you.

**To: Blaine Anderson**

Now that I’ve slept in your arms once, I kind of always want to. Your snuggling is addictive :-)

**To: Blaine Anderson**

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. Sweet dreams xxx


	33. Head in the Clouds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this chapter and the next will be quite short, I'm afraid. It's the holidays, and I can't find as much time to write as I ordinarily do. Please check out the one-shot set in the future that I wrote for this fic. It's called Reading between the Lines.

_But a certain little gush of joy, as from some secret, unknown spring, bubbled up in her heart the next evening, when she saw Gilbert striding down through the Haunted Wood and crossing the old log bridge with that firm, quick step of his_. (Lucy Maud Montgomery, _Anne of the Island_ )

Blaine went through the day with his head in the clouds, [a grin plastered on his face](http://media.giphy.com/media/jrffpQpnh4KwU/giphy.gif) and a supreme disregard for everything that went on around him.

Juliet Porter, the fourth-grade teacher, had broken up with her boyfriend because it turned out he still wasn’t over his ex, who’d asked him to give her a second chance, and he’d chosen his ex-girlfriend rather than Juliet. She was inconsolable.

Usually, Blaine would have given her his full attention and done everything he could to cheer her up. He did try, offering her handkerchiefs and compliments and warm hugs and chocolate. But as he was unable to keep the happiness in his heart from bubbling over into his [every look and smile](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/43/7c/44/437c4432382495e03a597509c9945712.jpg), he feared that he wasn’t the ideal person to be around Juliet right now.

He found himself distracted all day long, thinking of what Kurt would be doing. During the morning break, he pestered Tina to find out from one of her New Directions friends if Kurt had thought of lunch. Rachel turned out to be at Kurt’s and she said they would be having lasagne for lunch, so Blaine relaxed and changed the topic being discussed in the teacher’s lounge from Juliet’s break-up to Christmas presents and traditions. Juliet gave him a watery smile for that, relieved that she no longer was the centre of attention.

After school hours, Blaine threw himself into lesson preparations. After that, he set up his easel and painted an aquarelle for his new picture book. When he was finally satisfied with how it looked, he prepared a pumpkin stew for dinner and while it simmered on the stove, he cleaned his bathroom and toilet and hoovered his entire apartment, knowing he would want to be with Kurt during the weekend and might not find the time to clean.

Blaine ate his dinner and checked his watch when he was done. Seven PM, two more hours to go until he could Skype with Kurt. It was ridiculous to be so attached to a man he hadn’t even known for a full week, but being apart from Kurt was getting harder and harder.

Blaine did the dishes and then dived onto his sofa and put the TV on, but he was so restless that no programme could hold his interest for long. So he counted down the hours, and a bit before nine, he [logged in on Skype](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mb1i1kKtcg1qd52doo1_250.gif) and saw that Kurt was already online, so he called him at once.

Kurt looked good, in tight black jeans with a white shirt and a red and green chequered waistcoat, and he looked happy to see Blaine. “Hey sweetie,” he said.

“Hey honey,” answered Blaine. He inquired after the wedding dress, and was pleased to hear that it was almost finished, as well as the accessories.

Kurt had been surprised by his parents at noon, who were checking up on him to make sure he ate, in spite of his heavy workload. So they had all had lunch together, Kurt, his parents, his brother, his sister-in-law and Santana and Brittany. And the girls had been talking about Blaine, apparently, and Kurt’s father hadn’t been very happy to be the last to hear about Kurt having a boyfriend, so he ordered Kurt to bring Blaine along to the Hudmel’s Friday Dinner. Only Kurt’s father and brother both seemed less than enthusiastic at the thought of Kurt having a boyfriend and might make trouble for Blaine.

“I see,” said Blaine.

_That’s tomorrow … I’m meeting the parents tomorrow? Wow. And his dad and big bro already have it in for me? Well, I’ll take that as a challenge. My mom always says that no-one can resist the Anderson charm for long …_

He sent Kurt a confident grin, said he was looking forward to it and asked whether Mrs Hummel-Hudson would prefer flowers or chocolate as a hostess gift.

Kurt looked a bit surprised, then chuckled and pronounced himself in favour of flowers, citing that his stepmother loved warm colours. _Duly noted._

Blaine saw that Kurt looked nervous at the idea of taking him along to his parents, and mentioned that it was early for them to be meeting the parents already.

Kurt agreed, but apparently he wasn’t scared of his parents’ reaction to Blaine. He was scared his ‘crazy family’ would make Blaine run for the hills.

_Not likely … Now that I’ve finally found you, I’m not giving you up. Besides, they can hardly be scarier than Santana._

He said as much to Kurt, adding that he wasn’t hoping for acceptance straightaway, that he planned on earning it over time.

Kurt seemed a little more at ease then, but wasn’t out of surprises yet, because he added a second invitation to his first one. The bride-to-be Kurt was making the dress for had invited him to her wedding, and Kurt wanted Blaine to come along.

_Wow! So I’m not only meeting the parents this weekend, but I’m going to be Kurt’s official date to a wedding? It’s all much too soon, I’m sure, but I’m over the moon with happiness!_

Grinning like a loon, Blaine accepted the invitation. He knew where the wedding was. Niff were going too, after all. Luckily, it was quite close to where he lived. So Kurt could come to his place first.

_And maybe you could spend the night with me after?_

He had to bite back a smile when Kurt asked whether or not he had a tux. Did he have a tux? Of course he did! He had several, in fact. He was his mother’s son, wasn’t he? Pam Anderson had been dressing her sons in miniature dinner suits for her charity events from the very moment they were toilet-trained. Blaine had learned how to tie a bowtie before he even mastered tying his shoelaces. And he knew just the tux he would choose to wow Kurt with.

_Prepare to swoon, Mr Hummel!_

They agreed to meet tomorrow at Kurt’s place, at 6.30 PM, and wrapped up their conversation.

Kurt sent Blaine a longing look that was like a hug all in itself, and Blaine sent him an air kiss and a smile back in return, before he logged off.

_I can’t wait to see you again tomorrow, and hold you in my arms._

Kurt seemed to be channelling his thoughts, for almost at once, his phone dinged, announcing new text messages.

**From: Kurt Hummel**

This is going to sound weird, but I’m going to have a hard time falling asleep without you.

_Same here, I assure you._

**From: Kurt Hummel**

Now that I’ve slept in your arms once, I kind of always want to. Your snuggling is addictive :-)

_Awww … Okay, now you’re definitely staying over at my place on Saturday, I’m not taking no for an answer._

**From: Kurt Hummel**

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. Sweet dreams xxx

_After such lovely texts from you, my dreams are sure to be sweet …_

He texted back with a smile:

**To: Kurt Hummel**

I will gladly offer you my cuddle services any time you need them :-)

**To: Kurt Hummel**

Can’t wait to feel you in my arms again. Sweet dreams xoxo


	34. TGIF

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter again, sorry ... You were probably expecting the Hudmel dinner already. Next chapter, I promise.

“ _So they danced and neither of them spoke. As the music began and his arms closed around her, he had felt her shiver. Then the melody caught her and she moved with him, so light, so completely one with him that he could guide her with a finger. Yet as he held her he had no thought of thistledown or snowflake. Here, beneath his hands, was tempered steel, was flame …_ ” (Eva Ibbotson, _The Secret Countess_ )

Blaine woke early on Friday morning, and decided to put the extra time to good use by placing an order for a flower bouquet, packing himself an overnight bag just in case, picking an outfit for the Hudmel dinner and tidying up his living room for Kurt’s visit on Saturday.

At school, Tina asked him if he was going to the wedding as well, and squealed when he said yes. “This is going to be so much fun! A New Directions reunion, like my party on Halloween!”

Blaine didn’t contradict her, but he knew both the bride’s and the groom’s family because they moved in the same circles as his parents, and therefore, he knew the wedding was going to be a formal and meticulously planned affair from the beginning until the end. Any spontaneity would have to come from the newlyweds, who certainly weren’t as stuffy as their relations. Letting loose like at the Halloween party would be out of the question. He knew even him dancing with Kurt or Nick with Jeff would raise eyebrows, though he hoped Kurt wouldn’t mind a bit of censure and dance with him anyway.

If Kurt didn’t want to dance in the ballroom, Blaine planned on taking him outside and dancing with him there. [He could picture it all in his head: both of them wearing tuxes, a light trickle of snow falling, Kurt’s head against his shoulder](http://static.tumblr.com/e29ufwb/pXOmn7def/klaine-come-what-may.gif). Blaine would sing softly into Kurt’s ear, and they would gently sway to and fro and then kiss the night away.

He was so lost in this lovely vision of his that it took some time for him to realise Tina was asking his attention. “Blaine? Blainey Days?”

“Huh?”

“Where did you go just now?” Tina asked with a knowing grin.

“I was just … thinking,” said Blaine evasively. “You were saying?”

“We haven’t discussed the next music gathering yet. We should finalise the plans now that Jeff is here. What were you planning on teaching the children this time?” inquired Tina.

Blaine forced himself to stop thinking about Kurt and outlined the programme for the gathering, Jeff and Tina adding their remarks and suggestions.

In the afternoon, Blaine used story time to try out his new story. His class seemed to like it. They laughed and held their breath in all the right places, and sighed in satisfaction at the happy ending.

He followed up with a few songs and then dismissed his class two minutes early, eager to get to Kurt as soon as possible, only to be stopped in the hallway by the principal, who wanted to discuss the Thanksgiving performance the school was organising.

Blaine had written the words and the music for the musical they were staging, and the principal wanted his advice on the casting. There were three equally gifted girls who could take the female lead, and there wasn’t really anyone for the male lead.

Blaine dismissed one of the three girls outright. Charity had a lovely voice and was graceful and engaging, but she was also a figure skater and her parents took that very seriously. Her schedule was riddled with extracurricular activities. Before and after school, she took ballet, dance, conditioning and skating lessons. Even what she ate and how much was monitored scrupulously. It wouldn’t do to add even more pressure. Blaine was sure that it would be too hard on her to add a lead role in the school musical to the mix.

The other candidates, Julie and Emma, were interchangeable as to their vocal abilities and acting skills, but Blaine remembered that Emma’s parents were going through a nasty divorce and that she had been distracted and unhappy about it for weeks. Maybe this would be just what she needed to cheer up again. And Julie could be her understudy. She was a sweet and helpful girl. Blaine knew she would be supportive and wouldn’t be jealous.

The male lead was another matter entirely. Blaine quite agreed with the principal that there wasn’t any fifth-grader who could take on the part. However, there were two or three fourth-graders that might do an excellent job.

In the end, they decided on Matthew, who seemed the most dependable of the candidates. Andrew was too lazy, and Tom was too unpredictable.

When that was settled, Blaine excused himself and left. He dropped off his school things at his apartment, changed into the outfit he’d picked out that morning and took his overnight bag and his car keys. He made a detour by the flower shop to pick up the bouquet for Kurt’s stepmother, and then left for Lima.

At a quarter to six, he arrived at Kurt’s shop with two cups of coffee and biscotti.

He went inside and headed straight to the workroom. Kurt came out at a run and collided with Blaine, and though Blaine could narrowly avoid the coffee spilling all over his or Kurt’s clothes, most of it ended up on the floor. He looked at the puddle of coffee ruefully and apologised, offering to run upstairs for a mop to clean it up.

Kurt hugged Blaine and kissed him square on the mouth, telling him not to worry about it and to go right up to the apartment, while he fetched a mop from the workroom and cleaned it up.

A few minutes later, Kurt joined Blaine on the couch and they shared the biscotti and what was left of the coffee. Blaine started apologising again, but Kurt stopped him with a kiss. One kiss led to two, then three, and after that Blaine stopped counting and just enjoyed the moment. The scent of roses assailed his nostrils again and made his head swim with desire. He pulled Kurt onto his lap, flush against him, and cupped his face with both hands before diving in for another kiss.

_Aaah, I missed this …_

Sooner than he liked, though, Kurt slid off his lap, looked at his wristwatch and let out a high-pitched scream. He ran to the bathroom, muttering about his hair being a mess and what a stroke of luck it was that he had picked out a dinner outfit this morning.

Blaine chuckled and planned on staying on the couch until Kurt was ready, but Kurt had other ideas. “Blaine, you can use the guest bathroom to fix your hair. I’m sorry, I’m afraid I ran my hands through it and now it looks like you’ve just come out of bed.”

Blaine obediently went to the other bathroom and gasped when he saw the damage. Okay, yes, Kurt had a point. If he’d risked arriving at the Hudmel’s looking like this, Kurt’s dad would probably have distrusted him for the rest of his life. He looked so dishevelled, his lips swollen, his hair a disaster, his shirt rumpled where Kurt had fisted it. Not really the innocent and sweet first impression he wanted to make. No-one would consider him good son-in-law material looking like this.

[So he did all the damage control he was capable of, gelling his hair neatly back](http://shop.fox.com/imgcache/product/resized/000/380/051/catl/00380051-097529_1000.jpg?k=9b273230&pid=380051&s=catl&sn=foxshop), smoothing the shirt as much as he could and splashing water on his face to cool it down a bit.

When he came back in the living room, Kurt was there already, looking gorgeous in a lilac shirt, red skin-tight jeans and a light grey vest. He held up a white shirt for Blaine. “Sorry, honey, but you can’t go to my parents like this. This shirt probably won’t be a perfect fit, but it will be better than the crinkled and creased one you’re wearing now.”

Blaine put on the shirt and twirled around for Kurt’s inspection. Kurt nodded his approval.

“Shall we go then?” asked Kurt.

“After you, sir,” answered Blaine with a courtly bow.

Kurt giggled and took his hand, and together, they ran down the stairs.


	35. Are You Ready For This?

“ _Tristran's heart pounded in his chest as if it was not big enough to contain all the joy that it held. He opened his eyes as he kissed the star. Her sky-blue eyes stared back into his, and in her eyes he could see no parting from her._ ” (Neil Gaiman, _Stardust_ )

When Naomi came to fetch her wedding dress and accessories at 4 PM on Friday, she gasped and stared. In the workroom stood two mannequins. One with her wedding dress, more beautiful than she could ever have imagined. Rachel’s shrug was draped over it, and next to the mannequin, on the table, were the long gloves she’d be wearing to complete the ensemble. On the other mannequin, she saw another dress in the same pale pink hue, full-length but without a train. [It was an asymmetrical one-shoulder dress with an intricately draped bodice like a rose unfolding](http://lilyvandersteen.tumblr.com/post/110375688824/weave-your-magic-chapter-35-are-you-ready-for). The leather jacket hung over it.

Kurt chuckled. “Well? Do you approve of your going away dress?”

Naomi whirled around and looked at Kurt wide-eyed, completely speechless.

Kurt smiled. “I couldn’t let you wear this fabulous jacket over just any dress, you know. That would be bad for my reputation.”

He winked and prompted: “Do you want to try it on?”

A slow smile stole over Naomi’s face, and it grew steadily until she beamed like the summer sun. She nodded eagerly.

The dress fit perfectly, and Naomi looked exquisite in it. The jacket added a nice touch. It made the outfit less girly and more edgy.

Naomi tried on the finished wedding dress once again, too, with all the accessories. She’d finished the rose pins at home, and they looked wonderful in the dark auburn folds of her hair.

Naomi pronounced both outfits absolutely perfect and Kurt a miracle worker, and kissed him on both cheeks. They put both dresses, the jacket and the wrap in garment bags, and Kurt helped bring everything to Naomi’s car.

As promised, Naomi had brought invitations for Kurt and each of his helpers, and she also gave Kurt an envelope with a cheque to pay him for fixing her wedding dress.

She drove off with a cheery wave and a “See you tomorrow! I’ll be the one in pink!”

K&B

Kurt stepped back inside and cleaned up his workspace. After that, he put the suits for the groom and his wedding party onto mannequins, smoothing the lapels and looking them over thoroughly to check for loose threads, especially the buttons and button holes.

When everything seemed in order, he sat down with a sigh and tore open the two envelopes marked ‘Kurt’ that Naomi had given him. One held the invitation to the wedding, on thick cream paper embossed with cursive gold lettering. _Formal and slightly old-fashioned_ , Kurt thought. He liked the whimsical poem at the top, though.

The other envelope held the cheque as payment for his work. Kurt glanced at the amount and did a double-take. _This must be a mistake!_

He quickly sent a text to Naomi:

**To: Naomi Keller**

Naomi, are you sure you didn’t mix up two cheques by mistake? - Kurt

She answered almost at once.

**From: Naomi Keller**

I’m quite sure, yes. Why do you ask? - Naomi

**To: Naomi Keller**

This cheque is for 15,000 dollars! That’s way too much! - Kurt

**From: Naomi Keller**

No it’s not, considering that you a) made an entirely new dress and b) did it in just three days! - N

**From: Naomi Keller**

If anything, I should pay you extra for the going away dress … - Naomi

**To: Naomi Keller**

Don’t you dare! This is too much already! -Kurt

**From: Naomi Keller**

You deserve it. My sisters were so jealous just now when they saw the dresses *evil cackle* - N

**From: Naomi Keller**

Their wedding dresses were nowhere near as special and perfect as mine - Naomi

**To Naomi Keller**

That’s right … You’re at your bachelorette party? - Kurt

**From: Naomi Keller**

Not much bachelorette about it. It’s a tea party! - N

**From: Naomi Keller**

It’s so stuffy and formal that I wouldn’t be surprised if the Queen of England turned up :-) - N

**To: Naomi Keller**

If she does, send her my best :-) And I love tea parties, been having them since I was three - K

**From: Naomi Keller**

You and my mother are clearly kindred spirits. She wants to thank you personally tomorrow. - N

**From: Naomi Keller**

Both outfits got her seal of approval. She seemed impressed, even, which doesn’t happen often. - N

**To: Naomi Keller**

I’m looking forward to meeting your mother. Have fun at the tea party and see you tomorrow! - K

**From: Naomi Keller**

Yawn!! Well, I certainly won’t be hung-over tomorrow, that’s good. See you tomorrow! - Naomi

K&B

Since he had some time to kill until Blaine would be at the shop, Kurt went upstairs to fetch his own tux for tomorrow and took it to the workroom to iron the pants, the jacket, the shirt, the cummerbund and even the tie. He hung the outfit on a mannequin, too, but put it out of sight.

He was just putting the iron and ironing board away when he heard the shop bell. He jogged out of the workroom and ran smack into Blaine. Blaine’s eyes widened comically and he immediately threw his arms out wide. Kurt raised his eyebrows quizzically at the gesture, but when he saw coffee flying onto the floor from two Lima Bean cups Blaine was holding, he was thankful for Blaine’s quick reflexes.

Blaine apologised at length for spilling coffee on the floor and offered to clean it up, but Kurt knew it was just as much his fault, so he waved Blaine off and told him to go right upstairs and he’d join him in the apartment in just a minute.

When the coffee was mopped up and only a lingering smell of it remained, Kurt found Blaine on the couch and they shared what was left of the coffee, along with some biscotti Blaine had brought as well.

Blaine started saying sorry again for coming straight to the workroom and bumping into Kurt, but Kurt didn’t want any more apologies, so he leant towards him and stopped the flood of words by connecting their lips.

Kissing Blaine was so addictive. Every slide of their lips made Kurt’s blood sing and his head go woozy, and he wanted to be attached to Blaine forever and never let go. Most of all, he wanted to be closer to him, to melt into him, to feel Blaine moulded against him. Blaine seemed to agree, pulling Kurt onto his lap and cradling his face with the utmost reverence, looking at Kurt with an awed expression. Seconds later, a wild happiness sparked in Blaine’s eyes as he moved in for another kiss.

Kurt didn’t know how he had the presence of mind to snap out of that half-drugged, blissed out state to remember about Friday Night Dinner, but he did. He checked the time and immediately panicked and fled to the bathroom.

_I still need to do my hair! It probably looks like a bird’s nest! Thankfully, I have my outfit ready, so this shouldn’t take too long._

And then he looked at Blaine and panicked again.

_My dad can’t see him like this. He’ll know exactly what we’ve been up to, and he won’t like it one bit!_

Kurt firmly told Blaine to go fix his hair in the guest bathroom, and then disappeared into his own, frantically running through the motions of freshening up a bit, changing clothes and arranging his hair.

He was ready first, and, remembering how rumpled Blaine’s shirt had looked, ran to his walk-in closet to pick out a neutral white shirt, which he thrust into Blaine’s hands as soon as he came back from the guest bathroom, ordering him to put it on.

Blaine’s hair was slicked back a little too much for Kurt’s liking, but it was better than the wild curls from before, which had been sticking every which way. Once he had the white shirt on, he looked every inch the perfect boyfriend again.

They hurried to Blaine’s car. The bouquet for Carole was on the passenger seat.

“I’m sorry, I’ll just …” Blaine started to say, but Kurt cut him off.

“You apologise far too often,” he observed. “I’ll just put the bouquet on my lap. It’s not far, and I’ll be perfectly fine.”

They arrived at the Hudmel’s at two minutes past seven, and Kurt could see the curtain move as soon as Blaine had parked his car. He sighed. “Are you ready for this?”

Blaine stepped out of the car, [took the flowers in one hand](http://37.media.tumblr.com/69d86fde98a4f76fef355930c1c149b8/tumblr_mjxdvj2xaF1r1tkjgo1_250.gif) and Kurt’s hand in the other. He gave Kurt an encouraging little squeeze. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”


	36. The Hudmel Friday Dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year to all of you! My very best wishes for 2015!

“ _The tea-bell rang before he had finished describing the paradise which he meant to earn for Meg, and he proudly took her in to supper, both looking so happy that Jo hadn’t the heart to be jealous or dismal._ ” (Louisa May Alcott, _Little Women_ )

The door opened before either of them could ring the bell, and there stood his dad and brother. Kurt sent them both a menacing glare. _Behave, or else …_

They seemed to get the memo. Finn slinked off without a word, and the only thing Burt said was: “Come on in. Dinner’s ready.”

They both stepped inside and wiped their shoes on the mat. Carole came towards them, wiping her hands on her apron. Her smile was warm and welcoming, and she hugged Blaine as a long-lost son. Blaine clearly wasn’t expecting a hug. His eyes grew large, his mouth formed a perfect “O” and he almost dropped the bouquet he was holding. Then a breath-taking smile stole over his face and he returned the hug enthusiastically, his eyes shining like stars.

The smile was still in place when he stepped back and presented the flowers to Carole. “These are for you, as a hostess gift. Thank you so much for your invitation, it means a lot to me.”

Carole looked slightly taken aback, and Kurt could hear his father mutter “Smarmy show-off” under his breath. Carole, however, clearly appreciated the gesture. Her face lit up beautifully and she buried her nose in the flowers. “Thank you, Blaine! They’re lovely.”

They all headed to the dining table. Rachel, Finn and their children were already seated. Sarah and Toby bounced excitedly in their chairs when they saw Blaine, no doubt planning on wheedling a story out of him after dinner.

Kurt steered Blaine to a seat next to Rachel and opposite the children, and sat down next to Blaine.

_Now he’s surrounded by friends, even if Finn or Dad turn on him …_

Carole brought out the pot roast, the vegetables and the potatoes, as well as the vegetarian dish for Rachel, and Kurt saw Blaine eye the food appreciatively. The Hudmels all served themselves and tucked in without another word. Blaine seemed surprised at the lack of ceremony, but followed suit.

[When Blaine complimented Carole on the excellent dinner, Burt’s head snapped up and his eyes flashed](http://www.mjsbigblog.com/myphotos/gallery/glee-heart/313glee_ep313-sc31_237.jpg). “So, Blaine, is it?”

“Yes, sir,” answered Blaine politely.

Burt scoffed. “Pretty manners are wasted on me. Makes me feel uncomfortable. Just call me Burt, will you?”

“Yes, Burt,” said Blaine promptly.

“So you’re Kurt’s boyfriend?” Burt continued.

“Yes, I am,” Blaine beamed, grabbing Kurt’s hand under the table and squeezing it. Kurt’s lips curved into a smile so wide it hurt his cheeks.

“Huh,” Burt grunted. “Kurt says it’s only been a week.”

“Yes, we met last Friday at the book fair,” nodded Blaine.

“And you’re already putting labels on things, huh?” Burt pressed on.

“It may seem too soon for you, but I assure you I’m not pressuring your son into anything he’s not ready for,” Blaine insisted.

“You had better not!” Burt flared up.

“Dad!” Kurt interjected. “Not that it’s any of your business, but Blaine is a perfect gentleman. And you’re ten years too late for the ‘Treat my son with respect’ talk. I’m 26, for heaven’s sake! Stop playing the overprotective father role! I didn’t bring Blaine here for you to give him the third degree. I brought him here because I’m sure he’s going to be an important part of my life from now on, and I wanted you two to meet. So I’d appreciate it if you’d stop glaring at him and biting his head off!”

Then he turned to Finn, who’d been enjoying Burt’s questioning a little too much. “And the same goes for you, understood?”

Finn visibly wilted under Kurt’s death glare and nodded jerkily.

Burt, however, seemed stuck on something Kurt had said. “What do you mean, I’m ten years too late?”

_Uh-oh … I should not have mentioned that …_

“I don’t really want to go into detail, but at sixteen, I was in love with a boy who was a lot less trustworthy than Blaine. Your overbearing father act would have come in handy then. I doubt if you could have scared him off, though, he wasn’t the kind of person who cared about making a good impression and he never cared about anyone but himself.”

“Sounds like a winner,” Burt said sarcastically. “I hope you dumped him.”

“We were never together, dad,” answered Kurt. “It was a one-sided crush.”

_So not going to tell you that Seb took my virginity …_

“Good,” said Burt decisively.

“So Rachel tells me you work with Tina?” Carole took over.

Kurt smiled at Carole gratefully as Blaine told her and the table at large about teaching at Hawthorne and about the musical they would be performing for Thanksgiving. The Hawthorne kindergarteners and the children from Hawthorne’s day care centre across the street would join in, too.

Carole nodded thoughtfully. “Mikey will be starting kindergarten next year, won’t he? And Henry the year after that?”

“That’s right. They will be in the chorus this year, dressed as turkeys, if I’m not mistaken. Next year, when Mikey’s in kindergarten, he’ll have a slightly more prominent role. If he shows talent, we’ll let him sing part of a song or show off his dance moves.”

“Oh, he’s definitely talented,” declared Rachel. “I’ve had both boys sleep over at our place in summer, on Toby’s birthday, and Mikey dances beautifully.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” smiled Blaine.

And then Rachel went off at a tangent telling Blaine how Sarah was a chip off the old block and already such an amazing singer and actress at her age.

Blaine listened attentively and nodded encouragingly and enthusiastically when Sarah offered to sing the piece she’d be doing at her school for Thanksgiving.

There was no denying Sarah sang well, and everyone applauded after her song, even Rachel and Finn, who no doubt had heard her sing it a thousand times before. Sarah looked smug, and accepted the praise as her due. _So like her mother_ , thought Kurt. However, Kurt preferred stroking his niece’s ego to having his boyfriend interrogated, so he let it slide.

_At least Carole loves him. Look at her cooing over him taking seconds. Rachel likes him too. Well, what’s not to love about a man who really listens to every word you say without zoning out? Finn only pretends to listen. You can plainly see his eyes glaze over after a few minutes of listening to Rachel. And my niece and nephew are enamoured with him because he tells wonderful stories. It’s four against two. My dad and brother don’t stand a chance._

When Kurt snapped out of his reverie, he noticed that the topic had shifted to football. Honestly, how did that happen? He was just about to change the topic when he noticed that Blaine was joining in the conversation with gusto. Apparently, he supported the same team as Finn and Burt, and none of them were impressed with the new additions to the team. Not much talent and far too many fumbles for their liking.

And then Burt and Finn shoved their plates away and gravitated to the sofa to watch a football game, and they invited Blaine to come sit with them. Blaine insisted on helping clear the dishes first, but then [he went and sat with Burt and Finn](http://25.media.tumblr.com/fed26a93299b72cd4ed3179e6a8a5fbf/tumblr_mf059aRsGU1qfgg1ao1_250.gif), talking about matches they’d seen live and reliving the memorable moments.

_Wow! Really? They’ve bonded over football? Okay, I’m not questioning this. I’m thankful. I’m not even going to complain about having to watch football, as long as I get to cuddle with Blaine._

Kurt sat down next to Blaine, who was still engrossed in talking to Burt and Finn about football, but interlaced his fingers with Kurt’s as if on instinct.

Kurt saw his dad notice. Before he could bristle at his dad’s presumed disapproval, Burt looked at Kurt, smiled and nodded imperceptibly. Kurt interpreted that as ‘ _He’ll do, son’_ and smiled back in relief.

_Dad likes him._


	37. As Ready As I'll Ever Be

“ _Nathaniel’s mother is nothing like I expected. I was picturing some cozy Mrs. Tiggywinkle character with gray hair in a bun and half-moon spectacles. Instead, I’m looking at a wiry woman with a vivid, pretty face. Her eyes are bright blue, and her graying hair is in plaits on either side of her face. She’s wearing an apron over jeans, T-shirt, and espadrilles, and is vigorously kneading some kind of dough on the kitchen table._ ” (Sophie Kinsella, _The Undomestic Goddess_ )

The trip to Kurt’s dad’s place didn’t take long, but by the time they got there, Blaine had a whole flock of butterflies swarming in his stomach.

_Okay, Blaine, you can do this. You only get one chance to make a great first impression, so don’t mess it up!_

Kurt seemed just as nervous as Blaine. He unbuckled his belt and sighed. “Are you ready for this?”

Blaine got out of the car and took the bouquet. Then he clasped Kurt’s hand and squeezed it gently, both of them needing that reassurance. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Kurt’s family must have been on the look-out for them. The door swung open as soon as they were out of the car, and revealed two men. One of them was older and shorter, with piercing eyes, wearing a flannel shirt and a baseball hat, clearly Kurt’s dad Burt. The other man was very tall and would have looked quite handsome, if it weren’t for the scowl on his face.

_This must be Kurt’s stepbrother. What’s his name again? Oh yes, Finn as in Huckleberry Finn. And this is Rachel’s husband? Wow, what a height difference!_

For a moment, nobody said anything. Just when Blaine wanted to break the awkward silence and say ‘good evening’ and ‘thank you for the invitation’, Finn disappeared and Burt said gruffly: “Come on in. Dinner’s ready.”

Kurt didn’t say a word and just got in and wiped his feet on the mat, so Blaine copied this. Then Kurt’s stepmother Carole came hurrying towards them, smiling and throwing her arms open wide for a hug. [Blaine was astounded when she hugged him as well as Kurt](http://31.media.tumblr.com/481a5848549f5251fcda806bf1c46e71/tumblr_n2awn2uRbH1qlujf1o1_250.gif), as though he was just as welcome as her stepson. He liked it though, and the warmth in his voice was genuine when he thanked her for inviting him to dinner.

Clearly, she wasn’t expecting a gift, and that made her appreciate the flowers he’d brought all the more.

Blaine surreptitiously looked around the house as Kurt steered him to the dining room. It was decorated in warm colours and there were pictures of Kurt and Finn and Sarah and Toby everywhere. It wasn’t a magazine-worthy interior like that of his parental home, but it felt cheery and warm and lived in. Like a true home.

_When Kurt and I will have a family of our own, I want our house to have that very same feel to it. No expensive decorators for me, thank you very much!_

He could picture it so clearly. Small children’s shoes next to their big ones, stick figure drawings proudly displayed on the fridge, a sofa that would have to be replaced once the children were a bit older and stopped spilling all sorts of stuff onto it and every last inch of the coffee table covered in toys. Maybe they could add a golden retriever or a cat to the equation? Was Kurt a dog or a cat person?

And then he reprimanded himself for daydreaming. _Focus, Anderson, you have Kurt’s family to charm._

At the dining table, Blaine sat down next to Rachel, who flashed him a welcoming smile, and opposite Sarah and Toby, who seemed glad to see him, if their excited bouncing was anything to go by. Kurt sat at his other side.

Carole seemed to be solely responsible for dinner. She brought out every dish herself, while everyone else remained seated. Blaine had half a mind to get up and offer his help, but decided to keep that for his next visit. Burt had been glaring at Blaine since he’d opened the door, and that glare had only deepened when Blaine had given Carole his bouquet, so he had better not draw any attention to himself right now and make matters worse.

It all looked yummy. Blaine fleetingly wondered what it must be like to grow up in a family where home-cooked meals were served every day. His mother never cooked, and neither did his father. They preferred to eat out or order in. When Blaine was little, he had a nanny, whose job included providing breakfast, lunch and supper for him and Cooper. She wasn’t much of a cook, but he still remembered her spaghetti sauce, her cheesy meatloaf and the way she prepared fish as an oven dish with apples and cheese so as to cure both Blaine and Cooper of their fish aversion.

The nanny left when Blaine was twelve, and from then on, his parents gave him money to dine out or order in, as they did. Only, he soon got tired of that, and decided to teach himself how to cook. He wrote to his former nanny to request her spaghetti, meatloaf and fish recipes. He watched cooking competitions and cookery shows on TV. And after some trial and error, he mastered a variety of dishes that he liked and that took a minimum of time and effort.

This, though, was not just a quick convenience meal. It was a family meal with all the trimmings, and Blaine’s eyes gleamed with contentment as he vowed to himself to do it justice.

The Hudmels clearly did not stand on ceremony. As soon as Carole had put everything on the table, they all started serving themselves and eating without further ado, Finn filling his plate to overflowing and digging in as though he hadn’t eaten in days. Blaine hastily helped himself to everything too, and had to stifle a moan when he took his first bite. The meat was so tender, the mashed potatoes perfectly creamy and the gravy complemented the dish so well that he was tempted to lick his plate clean when he’d finished eating.

He told Carole honestly that this was the best pot roast he’d ever had. She encouraged him to have a second helping “before Mr Greedy here” - she squeezed her son’s shoulder affectionately - “eats everything that’s left”. Finn grinned at Blaine rather sheepishly without refuting the accusation.

Burt, however, seemed to resent Blaine paying his wife a compliment, and started in on him, finding fault with him for being too polite and for moving too fast with Kurt.

Blaine defended himself as best he could. He could feel Kurt simmer next to him, getting tenser and angrier by the minute. An accusatory remark from his dad to Blaine proved to be the last straw for Kurt, who chewed Burt out mercilessly. Blaine felt a bit sorry for Burt, and was glad Kurt’s scorching glare was not directed at him.

When Kurt mentioned he wanted his parents to meet his boyfriend because Blaine would be an important factor in his life from now on, Blaine grinned from ear to ear and his heart swelled with emotion.

_The same goes for me, sweetheart. I’ve only had you in my life for a week, and already I can’t imagine living without you. You’re the one. I’m sure of it. You belong with me, and I with you._

After Kurt’s outburst, the conversation went in another direction, and Blaine happily talked about his job with Carole, and about Tina and her sons. And then Rachel was talking about Sarah and how beautifully she could sing, and Sarah obligingly demonstrated her talent.

When Blaine saw Finn reaching for some more pot roast, he remembered he’d been offered a second helping, and hastened to take some more meat and mashed potatoes before Finn emptied every dish. Carole nodded encouragingly and spooned out some gravy for him.

And then Finn mentioned tonight’s game to Burt, and Blaine casually remarked that he hoped Samuels would be benched after his lousy performance last week. Both men turned to him astonished. Did he like football? Why, yes, he did! He’d played both soccer and football in school, hadn’t he? One of his best friends had even been a professional college player, as had his brother, by the way. It was in his blood.

Both Burt and Finn seemed to like that, and they warmed up considerably towards him after that, discussing the team with him at length and inviting him to come sit with them to watch the game. Blaine helped clear the dishes first, though. He owed Carole at least that much after such a good meal.

[He continued chatting with Burt and Finn, relieved at having found common ground](http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140825201303/glee/images/3/37/Blinn_blaine_finn_aw_milk.gif). He felt the sofa give next to him, and knew it was Kurt. He reached for Kurt’s hand, twining their fingers together.

_As soon as I touch you, I feel home._


	38. Bedtime Story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has another one of Blaine's stories in it. Feel free to skip it if that's not your thing. It's originally a Dutch story called "De drie schelpjes" (The Three Shells), written by Loes Hermans. I translated it into English.

“ _Happiness isn't a thing. You can't go out and get it like a cup of tea. It's the way you feel about things._ ” (Diana Wynne Jones, _Fire and Hemlock_ )

Toby wasn’t happy, that much was obvious. It must have been past his bedtime already, and he was grouchy. Sarah was laughing at him and telling him he was such a baby, until he chased her around the living room screaming and swatting at her. That, in turn, made Rachel snippy, telling Finn that he could just as well watch the game at home and that they needed to leave right now and go put the children to bed.

Carole invited her daughter-in-law and grandchildren to stay the night, if they wanted to. “You and Finn can sleep in Finn’s old room, and Sarah and Toby can sleep in Kurt’s.”

Sarah whined in protest. “Toby kicks all the time, I’m not sleeping in the same bed as him.”

Rachel sighed. “Okay, you can sleep with me, and Toby can sleep with Finn.”

Sarah looked at Blaine then. “But Blaine is here, and he hasn’t told us a story yet. I want a bedtime story.”

Blaine stifled a chuckle.

Rachel sighed again. “Blaine and daddy and grandpa are watching a football game on television, they won’t want to be disturbed.”

Sarah crossed her arms and pouted mutinously. “Blaine likes telling stories.”

Rachel cocked her head to the side. “Tell you what, you can ask Blaine, nicely, if he wants to tell you a story. But if he says no, I want no wheedling and no tantrums from you, young lady, is that understood?”

Sarah nodded, her face lighting up with hope and determination. She marched up to Blaine and when he looked up at her questioningly, she asked: “Blaine, would you please tell us a bedtime story? Grandma and grandpa haven’t heard you tell stories yet, and I’m sure they’ll love it.”

Blaine smiled. “Well, I daresay your grandpa would rather stay here and watch the football game, but I’ll come along to your bedroom and tell a story for you and your brother and anyone else who wants to listen.”

Sarah shot her mother a triumphant look and led the way to her bedroom. Toby, his good humour instantly restored, followed suit, along with Rachel, Carole, Blaine and Kurt.

The two children jumped onto Kurt’s old bed and looked up at Blaine expectantly.

“Okay,” he said, “What kind of story would you like?”

“Tell us about the man on the moon,” said Toby, “Like in the Dreamworks movies.”

“Alright then,” said Blaine.

_“It was a beautiful clear night, and the man on the moon sat peacefully in his silver rocking chair and combed his long beard with a golden comb._

_“Uh-oh,” he said, “The hair of my beard is terribly dry again!”[He dipped his comb into the silver stream that ran across the moon and combed his beard again](http://lilyvandersteen.tumblr.com/post/110462487244/weave-your-magic-chapter-38-bedtime-story-picture). That was better. Every now and then, he dipped the comb into the water and went on combing until his whole beard hung down in neat waves._

_In the meantime, three tiny silver droplets fell from the beard and fell onto three shells on the beach. The droplets from the silver moon stream attached themselves to the shells and it looked as though the shells each held a beautiful sparkling gemstone._

_The droplets softly started to whisper and tell the shells a big secret._

_“Listen,” they whispered, “Listen carefully: we, as silver moon droplets, have given you magic powers. Each of you can grant a wish, and that is something very special. Whoever finds one of you can consult with two others to make a wish, and that wish will be granted, if, and only if, all three of them wish for the same thing. If each of them asks for something else, no wish will be granted.”_

_“Awww,” sighed the shells, “People will love that! So if three grown-ups or children wish for the same thing, the wish will be granted?”_

_“That’s right,” said the droplets. “And there’s one more thing. There’s a magic word. It needs to be said before the wish is expressed, and then everything will turn out all right.”_

_“Right,” said the shells, “And what’s the magic word?”_

_“The magic word is ‘Tola’.”_

_“Tola,” repeated the shells respectfully. “Okay, we’ll keep that in mind. How lovely that we will be able to make a few people so happy!”_

_The shells felt very self-important and they thought it wouldn’t take long to find three people who wished for the same thing. They couldn’t wait and hoped they would be found soon._

_The next morning, as usual, children came to play on the beach. That happened every day, seeing as it was summer vacation. The mothers reclined in beach chairs and watched the children dig holes or make high mountains out of sand. A little girl was looking for shells, and she already had a handful of them when she noticed a very special shell. She hurried to pick it up and took it to her mother._

_“Look, mom, I found a beautiful shell. There’s a sparkling stone in it!”_

_“Yes,” said her mother, and she took the shell with the silver moon droplet in her hand, “It’s so beautiful!”_

_Then the shell spoke: “There’s a spell put on me. I’m a magic shell. You have found me, and now you can make a wish. Your wish will come true if two others wish for the same thing. Think it over very carefully, and when you’re sure, I will tell you the magic word that you need to make the wish come true.”_

_“Oh,” shouted the little girl happily, “I get to make a wish. I’d like a new doll stroller!”_

_“Be quiet,” said her mother, “You’ve heard it, there have to be two other people who make a wish.”_

_“You and daddy,” said the girl quickly._

_“Daddy and I will certainly not wish for a doll stroller, what an idea, we know better things to wish for!”_

_“But I want a doll stroller!” cried the girl._

_Her mother got up angrily. “We’re going home, right now. We’re taking the shell with us and we discuss it with daddy. Daddy and I will think of something and then you have to wish for the same thing.”_

_“But all I want is a new doll stroller,” screamed the girl, furious, “And I am the one who found the shell!”_

_“Hold your tongue, you’re naughty,” said her mother, and angrily, she tugged her daughter along and walked home with her._

_When the girl’s father had heard the whole story, he said: “Oh, I know exactly what I want. I want to be king; that would be awesome. I’d have a kingdom, mommy will be queen, and you,” he said to his daughter, “you will be a princess, wouldn’t you like that?”_

_“No,” said the girl, “All I want is a doll stroller!”_

_“I don’t want to be queen,” said her mother, “Where did you get that idea? It would be much better for us to wish for new furniture and a new house and a nice garden.”_

_“Oh come on,” said the girl’s father angrily, “Those are all ordinary things that you can buy afterwards, as soon as you have enough money. You can’t become king every day. No, I won’t change my mind. I want to be king and that’s what you have to wish for as well.”_

_“I want a doll stroller,” the girl wailed again, “And I am the one who found the shell!”_

_“That doesn’t matter,” said her father, “You are much too small to know what you want. You must wish what I want and I want to be king.”_

_“No, no, no,” said the mother, “New furniture and a new house, that’s enough.”_

_“Oh, please,” said her husband, “A king can buy as much furniture as he wants. Come on, you need to wish for the same thing I want.”_

_Then the mother started crying and lamenting too. The girl threw a tantrum about her doll stroller and her father got so angry that he slammed his fist onto the table._

_The consequences of that were terrible. He hadn’t noticed exactly where the shell was on the table and his fist slammed right into it. Only tiny fragments of it remained._

_Now the mother cried even harder, the girl jumped in fright and even the father let tears stream down his face, because none of their wishes could ever be granted now …_

_The second shell was found by a boy who was playing on the beach with two friends of his. When he’d heard the story the shell told him, he called for his friends and repeated the strange story._

_“That’s sweet,” said one of the boys, “I’d like a scooter.”_

_“No, a football,” said the other one._

_But the boy who had found the shell, said: “You are both silly. What use is a scooter or a football? No, I want fish gear. I wish for fish gear. I love fishing. You need to wish for fish gear, or else the wish won’t be granted.”_

_“Fat chance. Fishing is boring. I want the scooter, that’s much nicer.”_

_“Not a chance, I want a football!”_

_The boys got all worked up about it and couldn’t work it out. In the end, they started fighting. They hit and kicked each other and looked like a giant living ball falling onto the ground and rolling over the beach fighting. All of a sudden, the boy who’d found the shell yelled: “Wait a second, the shell’s gone!”_

_During the fight, it had slipped from his fingers. That shook up the boys and made them snap out of their tiff. They joined forces to look for the shell, but however much they dug and delved into the sand with their hands, they couldn’t find it. The shell had been buried deeper and deeper under the sand during the fight, due to the stamping feet of the boys. It was never found again._

_The third shell was found by a little boy walking on the beach with his dad._

_“Look what a beautiful shell I’ve found, dad,” he said, and he showed it to his father._

_The man took the shell in his hand, and it told him about the wish it could grant, if three people wished for the same thing._

_The father didn’t have to think long. He looked at his son. He didn’t ask anything, but he was almost sure that the boy was having similar thoughts._

_“Let’s hurry home, the third person should be mother, don’t you agree?”_

_The boy nodded and they walked home as fast as they could. When they were nearly there, they started to run. That’s in how much of a hurry they were._

_At home, the mother was sewing. She looked up surprised when her husband and son came back from their walk so soon. Lynn, the eldest child of the family, was in bed, and she looked surprised as well. Her bed stood at the window. Lynn was always ill, and the doctor had told them she would never get better._

_The father and the boy were out of breath from running so hard, and they panted as they told what had happened. The mother’s eyes brightened. She looked at her husband and smiled. There was no need to ask what his dearest wish was. She knew both of them had only one wish: seeing their daughter healthy again._

_Then, she admired the shell. She looked at her son and pulled him closer. “What would you wish for?” she asked, “You found the shell. Tell us what you would like best of all.” She stroked the boy’s cheek softly, and he dropped a quick kiss on her hand. He looked at his father, then at his mother and then at his sister, and said: “More than anything, I’d want Lynn to get well again.”_

_“That’s the most beautiful wish you could think of,” said the mother, and she smiled. “Ask for the magic word, father, and we’ll see if the wish is indeed granted.”_

_The shell said: “The magic word is Tola.”_

_All three of them said solemnly: “Tola. We wish that Lynn gets well again.”_

_Right after they had said that, Lynn’s pale cheeks grew pinker. She laughed, threw the covers off the bed and said: “I don’t feel ill at all anymore. I’m recovered, mother, father, truly I am!” She jumped out of bed and threw her arms around her parents and brother._

_On the table lay the shell. It felt proud and happy. The silver droplet from the moon stream glistened in the light of the setting sun, as though it was a real diamond …”_

When Blaine finished telling his story, you could hear a pin drop. The children had quieted down and were watching him wide-eyed, and both Rachel and Carole were brushing away a tear. He felt arms circle his waist and a feather-light kiss on his temple. He took that to mean that Kurt had enjoyed his story as well.

Once the two sleepy children were in their pyjamas, teeth brushed and ready for bed, Kurt and Blaine took their leave of everyone.

Sarah and Toby implored Blaine to come back soon. Rachel gave him a kiss on the cheek and whispered: “You make such a lovely couple.”

Carole gave Blaine another warm hug and murmured softly into his ear: “Welcome to the family, dear.”

Finn fist-bumped Blaine and told him he was always welcome whenever the New Directions boys had a bro night, he’d fit right in.

But Blaine was most surprised, yet gratified, when Burt gave him a pat on the back and a standing invitation to the Hudmel Friday Dinners.

_Maybe he likes me after all …_

K&B

They headed back to Kurt’s place without saying a word. The silence didn’t bother Blaine, but every now and then he stole a glance at Kurt, who was holding his hand, but was clearly miles away, lost in thought.

It wasn’t until Blaine had parked his car in front of Kurt’s shop that Kurt spoke.

“I wish I had found one of those shells when I was eight,” he said wistfully. “My mother was so very ill that no doctor could make her better. And I was so frightened and lost and angry. She was my whole world. My dad is great, but my mom … She really got me. She knew me inside and out. So when she died, my world crumbled. And I took it out on my dad. He seemed so indifferent, you know. He would just go about his day as if nothing had happened. Like a sleepwalker, really. He hardly noticed me at the time. He was so wrapped up in grief, I know that now, but back then, I was angry. Angry at the whole world for taking my mom away from me, but especially angry at my dad for not missing my mom like I did - or so I thought. I even resented him for staying alive while my mother was gone. I’d rather have switched them. Kept my mom and lost my dad. Horrible, isn’t it? But it’s what I felt like back then. So I would kick and scream whenever he came near me, not wanting him to feed or wash or clothe me. And after a while, he gave up and let his sister, my aunt Mary, take me in. That must have been such a hard decision for him to make. Losing his son right after his wife. But he did it, because he wanted what was best for me. He was so glad when I came back to Lima right after my sixteenth birthday. So happy. But it took only one look at the sullen teenager I was for his happiness to plummet again. And I kicked up a fuss about him having a girlfriend, and made him feel guilty about it. It took a long time for us to bond again, and I’ve never let him in completely. Tonight was the first time I’ve ever mentioned Sebastian to him. I’ll never be as close to my dad as I was to my mom, but he’s a wonderful dad. Maybe I should make more of an effort. Be less closed-off.”

Blaine unbuckled his seat belt and Kurt’s, and pulled Kurt towards him for a hug. “Don’t blame yourself, sweetheart. Everyone deals with grief differently. The important thing is that you came back to him, and that you mended the bridges. I’m sorry I told a story that triggered memories of your mother’s death.”

Kurt’s lithe frame shook in Blaine’s arms as he sobbed, and Blaine rubbed soothing circles on his back and murmured sweet nothings until Kurt quieted.

“Let’s get you upstairs and into bed,” said Blaine.

Kurt sniffled and nodded. They got out of the car, Blaine slung his overnight bag over his shoulder and immediately circled Kurt’s waist and pulled him close.

Upstairs, they changed into their pyjamas and brushed their teeth next to each other, sneaking glances and smiling at the domesticity of it all.

There was no mention of the guest bedroom this time. They both went to Kurt’s bedroom without a second thought and got into bed.

“Will you hold me?” asked Kurt, his eyes pleading.

“Of course,” smiled Blaine, and held his arms open.

Kurt crawled closer, until their noses almost touched. Blaine gave Kurt a quick bunny kiss. That made his cheeks warm up, his lips turn up and his eyes crinkle.

“Hey,” said Blaine warmly.

“Hey,” breathed Kurt.

They kissed lazily for a while, until their eyes started to droop.

“Time to sleep, I think,” yawned Kurt.

“Sweet dreams, love,” said Blaine.

“With you, always,” declared Kurt. “Good night, honey.”

As he was drifting off to sleep, Blaine smiled into the darkness and hugged Kurt a bit more tightly to him.

_I want you in my arms always._


	39. Thawing Out

“ _To his shock, the tears he’d expected when he’d knocked on the door filled her eyes in a rush and spilled down her cheeks. She wiped at them, looking horrified._

 _Without hesitation, he stepped forward and gathered her into his arms. She covered her face and let a single sob escape against his chest. Tightening his hold, he made a mental note:_ Being kind makes her cry.” (Julie Ortolon, _Don’t tempt me_ )

Kurt was fully prepared to sit next to Blaine and watch the football match. His niece, however, had other ideas, marching up to Blaine and demanding a bedtime story. Well, that was certainly a much more agreeable alternative, so Kurt eagerly followed Blaine to his old bedroom and sat down on his old desk chair to listen.

Rachel joined Sarah and Toby on the bed, and they cuddled into her.

Carole plumped down on the futon, her hands folded and her head cocked to the right.

Kurt wondered what Carole would think of Blaine’s stories. She liked Burt’s straightforward storytelling. Burt usually told his grandchildren about naughty and silly things Kurt had done as a child, or about family traditions. She also loved Kurt’s whimsical fairy tales and thrilling adventure stories.

Blaine, however, took storytelling to the next level. He drew you in and held you captive in the world of his imagination. He made it all come to life before your very eyes. He had you hanging on his every word. It was quite an experience, and one that Kurt would never get enough of.

This time, though, it wasn’t a funny story, like the previous ones Kurt heard. It was beautiful, but it had sadder and more serious undertones, and it made you think.

Kurt looked around and saw that he wasn’t the only one who’d picked up the melancholy the story exuded. It had affected Rachel and Carole too. Even his niece and nephew were much quieter than they usually were at bedtime.

He had no words at the ready to praise Blaine this time, so he did the next best thing. He hugged Blaine from behind and kissed him very chastely on the side of his head.

Kurt helped Rachel put a sleepy Toby into his pyjamas and folded his clothes neatly to put them on the desk chair.

As soon as the children’s teeth were brushed and they were ready for bed, Kurt whispered to Blaine: “Shall we go home, too? I’m tired.”

Blaine nodded, and they said their goodbyes to everyone.

Toby and Sarah had clearly adopted Blaine into the family already, demanding that he return quickly. Rachel seemed quite cordial with him as well, and Carole gave him the same warm hug she’d given him when he came in. It didn’t surprise Blaine any longer, but it still made his face light up like a Christmas tree.

[Finn seemed to have accepted Blaine as one of the guys, thanks to his football talk](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/25/e5/97/25e5974e32460751060cd19a32c1a4ba.jpg). Kurt heard him invite Blaine for a bro night, and felt torn between laughing and crying. Laughing because it was such a Finn thing to do, and crying because after knowing Blaine for just a couple of hours, Finn already perceived him as more masculine and worthy of his friendship and attention than Kurt.

_Ah well, focus on the positive, Kurt. Finn accepts your boyfriend, which is what you wanted, right?_

His dad surprised Kurt, too, telling Blaine that he was welcome at every Friday Night Dinner from now on.

_That’s progress! Maybe I was too harsh in calling him out at dinner…_

K&B

They drove back to Kurt’s house in silence. Kurt had so many thoughts swirling in his head that he couldn’t have kept up a conversation if he tried, and Blaine seemed to sense that and respect it. He looked at Kurt once in a while, concern wrinkling his forehead, but communicated only with a squeeze of his hand.

Kurt was thinking of his mother falling ill and then dying. It had been like in the story. The doctors had said there was nothing left that they could do. That his mother was doomed to die.

_One of those shells would surely have come in handy then … But in real life, there are no miracles and there is no magic._

So she died, and he had been devastated. So had his dad. But instead of their grief bringing them closer together, they had only drifted further apart. That was Kurt’s fault, he knew. He had acted out, he had pushed his father away, again and again and again. And Burt, whose grief had stunned him to the point that he went about life as a zombie, had at last given up trying to connect with Kurt, and had allowed him to go live with his aunt. That had been the best option for Kurt at the time, but he realised now that it must have broken Burt’s heart all over again. Kurt had been cruel to his dad, and he regretted that now.

Even when he came back at the age of sixteen, he had been cruel, keeping Burt at arm’s length, treating him more like a casual acquaintance than as his dad, and tearing into him for having found a new lady love, because Kurt saw that as the blackest betrayal. Kurt had mellowed a lot since then, and now he truly accepted and loved Carole and Finn as his family, but maybe his dad deserved more from him. Maybe it was time for the two of them to have a heart-to-heart about all sorts of topics Kurt had never discussed with his dad. To reveal the secrets he’d kept so closely guarded. And yes, his dad would be angry with him for keeping mum about it all these years, but Kurt deserved that, and he could take it. The main thing was that it would bring him closer to his dad. He felt the yearning to be open with him. He longed to be able to talk with him about anything and everything, asking advice, sharing his successes but also his doubts and worries and fears.

_Blaine, what have you done to me? I was so frozen and closed-off, and you’ve thawed me out completely, and now I don’t know what to do with all these desires and cravings I feel. You will help me out, won’t you? Come with me every step of the way? I need you …_

He noticed that Blaine had parked his car in front of the shop.

_When did we arrive? I owe him an explanation for my lengthy silence. I wouldn’t want him to think it’s somehow his fault._

He told Blaine about the memories his bedtime story had triggered, about his mother’s death and how horrible he’d been to his dad, both then and when he returned to Ohio, and about his resolution to do better, to really communicate with his dad.

Blaine’s eyes showed no revulsion or censure, only sympathy. He enveloped Kurt in a comforting hug and told him not to be too hard on himself.

His sweetness and understanding proved too much for Kurt, who burst into tears and sobbed for an embarrassingly long time. [Blaine held him in his arms](http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/glee/images/8/8f/Klaine134.gif/revision/latest?cb=20130311051406) patiently and tenderly rubbed his back, murmuring “Let it all out”, “I’m here for you”, “It’ll be fine”, “I’ve got you” and “I’m so proud of you”. Kurt drenched Blaine’s coat with his tears and sniffled and hiccupped until he was completely spent.

Then Blaine took him upstairs, holding him close, his arm around Kurt providing the reassurance and comfort Kurt needed, and making him feel so loved and cared for that the bubbliness in his chest made it hard for him to breathe.

They shared Kurt’s bathroom to get ready for bed, shyly glancing at one another every now and then, and smiling at how right and wonderful it felt.

Kurt felt giddy just thinking of Blaine’s arms holding him all night, and impatiently tugged him towards his bed.

“Will you hold me?” implored Kurt.

He beamed when Blaine answered “Of course” as if that was a given and opened his arms in invitation.

Kurt crept into Blaine’s arms until Blaine’s face was barely an inch away. Blaine grinned impishly and rubbed his nose softly against Kurt’s. Kurt’s heart sped up at the sweet gesture.

“Hey,” smiled Blaine.

“Hey,” whispered Kurt.

And then their lips met and there was no more talking for a while, until Kurt felt his eyelids get heavy.

“Time to sleep, I think,” he yawned.

Blaine nuzzled his neck sleepily, and then nodded. “Sweet dreams, love.”

“With you, always,” admitted Kurt. “Good night, honey.”

He felt Blaine pull him flush against him, his body heat seeping into Kurt’s bones and his arm around Kurt an anchor and an armour.

_I feel so safe with you. You make me feel as if I can do anything and be anything I want. You give me strength._


	40. Early Bird

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've added pictures of Blaine's tux and bow tie :-)

“ _He stopped as the sight hit him square in the chest. Morning sunlight streamed over her. She was so… Maddy, standing there barefoot with his big shirt hanging to her knees._

 _If he could have one wish, he decided, it would be this right here, to wake every morning for the rest of his life to find Maddy in his kitchen, bathed in sunlight._ ” (Julie Ortolon, _Almost Perfect_ )

Kurt woke up to the sound of someone singing in the kitchen, and he grinned widely. Usually, he had trouble getting up in the morning. When his alarm clock woke him, he would snooze for another twenty minutes and then get up grumpily. This, however, was a much nicer way to wake up. Blaine was here, and they had a fun day ahead of them. So Kurt jumped out of bed without much ado and went to shower, style his hair and brush his teeth quickly, before joining Blaine in the kitchen.

Blaine turned around when he heard Kurt approach and pouted adorably. “I was going to bring you breakfast in bed!”

Kurt laughed. “Well, I heard there was a concert going on in my kitchen, so I came to check it out.”

Blaine blushed. “I might have gotten a bit carried away. Was I too loud? Did I wake you up?”

Kurt quickly shut him up by sliding his arms around Blaine’s waist and kissing him deeply. “Yes, you woke me up, but don’t you dare apologise! I love being woken this way. You’re an early bird, aren’t you? It’s only a quarter to eight, and from the looks of it, you’ve been busy for a while.”

Blaine nodded. "I've been up since half past six. I always wake up early."

Kurt took in the breakfast spread that lay before him. Fruit salad, yoghurt, French toast, coffee and grapefruit juice. Blaine had been about to drizzle the French toast with golden syrup, and the plates had already been arranged onto a tray.

“It seems like I’m just in time for breakfast,” Kurt commented. “It looks wonderful, Blaine. You spoil me rotten.”

[Blaine beamed at him. “I love having someone to spoil.”](http://33.media.tumblr.com/d94388a8ac6d293e9cae0e4d2f857323/tumblr_inline_njnbf2EAwH1rbslk6.gif)

“So I’m going to have to be the strict parent, huh?” Kurt quipped, and then panicked.

_Oh no … Oh no! Why on earth did I say that? We’ve only known each other for a week! We’ve only been boyfriends for a few days! I’m not supposed to be thinking of happily ever afters and children yet, and I’m certainly not supposed to be mentioning anything of the kind to him. He’ll think I’m too intense and moving too fast, and he’ll get scared and run for the hills!_

Blaine’s chuckle kept him from spiralling into a full-blown panic attack. Kurt chanced a look at Blaine and saw with relief that he didn’t seem fazed at all. He looked amused, that was all, and he answered: “Yes, I’m afraid so. Being strict is not in my nature. I’m lucky that my third-graders love me too much to mess with me in class.”

Kurt let out a high-pitched giggle, and then clapped his hand over his mouth in embarrassment and blushed furiously. He quickly busied himself with bringing the tray to the dining table and hoped and prayed that Blaine hadn’t noticed a thing.

Blaine followed, bringing the syrup and the cutlery. “I hope grapefruit juice is okay. You’re all out of oranges, so I had to make do with what I found.”

Kurt looked at him incredulously. “Of course it’s okay. It’s more than okay! Sweetheart, you don’t have to make me a gourmet breakfast every time you stay the night, you know. You can stay in bed and cuddle me; I’d like that just as much.”

Blaine chuckled. “I don’t think you’d have been pleased if I had woken you at half past six. When I wake up, I have to get up, otherwise I start tossing and turning, and that would have woken you up before you were ready to.”

Kurt grimaced. “Six thirty is early even for a week day. So you’re right, I wouldn’t have been too happy.”

Blaine shrugged. “I always get up at six thirty, and my internal clock can’t tell the difference between a week day and the weekend. On Saturdays and Sundays, I usually go for a run when I wake up, to kick-start my day.”

Kurt raised his eyebrows. “Wow. Well, feel free to do so next time you sleep over. My keys are on the little table by the front door. The biggest one is the key to the shop door downstairs and the middle one is for the front door here.”

Blaine shot him a quizzical look. “You wouldn’t mind?”

Kurt shook his head. “Of course not. I trust you.”

That answer seemed to make Blaine very happy. He gave Kurt a smile so sunny and bright that it took his breath away.

They concentrated on eating after that. The French toast was yummy, and the yoghurt, which had been doctored with cinnamon and vanilla, was even more so, especially in combination with the fruit salad.

_Mmm, I could get used to this … But that’s twice in a row now that he’s made breakfast for me. Next time, it’s my turn._

“Blaine?”

“Hmm?”

“Next time, I get to make breakfast,” Kurt stated. “You haven’t lived until you’ve eaten my cinnamon rolls.”

“Okay,” Blaine grinned.

After breakfast, they did the dishes together, humming contentedly and stealing a kiss every now and then. Then Blaine disappeared into the bathroom, and Kurt went downstairs to check his mailbox for new online orders and to make some bow ties and belts now that all the wedding finery was finished.

Blaine soon joined him in the workroom and commented on the bow ties Kurt was making, telling Kurt what type of man each bow tie was suited for, and embroidering on the stories until he had them both in stitches.

The groom and his men would come and fetch their wedding attire at eleven, so at a quarter to eleven, Kurt and Blaine teamed up to put the suits into garment bags.

When Kurt’s customers turned up, Greg took Kurt apart for a moment to thank him very sincerely for helping his bride out with her dress. “She was so down in the dumps about the dress she’d designed, and now she’s ecstatic, so thank you very much.”

“Thank YOU for inviting us all to the wedding!” answered Kurt. “The girls and I were so pleased with the invitation. That was a lovely surprise!”

“You’re bringing Blaine, I’ve heard,” grinned Greg. “Chaz’s brother-in-law Jeff is thrilled that his best bud is coming to the wedding, too. I warn you, though, he’s insanely curious about you and will probably corner you and ask you a million questions.”

“Thanks for the warning, but I’m sure I can handle it,” said Kurt with confidence.

“Well, we’ll see you at four this afternoon,” stated Greg cheerfully. “Now we’ve really got to run, there’s so much more to do. Next stop is the flower shop for our boutonnières. Originally, we picked white gardenias, but Naomi’s mom made us change it to pale pink roses. I guess that has something to do with the dress you made her.”

“True,” grinned Kurt, “but I’m not telling you any more than that.”

With a cheery wave, Greg took his leave.

_No pre-wedding jitters there … They make a nice couple._

K&B

For lunch, Kurt quickly tossed together a chicken salad. While they enjoyed their salad, Blaine told Kurt about the venue for the wedding, and told him what he could expect of such a high society affair.

After lunch, Kurt packed an overnight bag and put his tuxedo into a garment bag, and they left for Westerville.

Kurt was amused when Blaine not only proved to have an entire collection of Katy Perry CDs in the glove compartment of his car, but also sang along to them with gusto and panache.

In Blaine’s apartment, they both changed into their tuxes, coiffed their hair and shined their shoes. [Kurt loved Blaine’s tux. It was black, as Blaine had said, and it emphasised his wide shoulders and tapered waist to perfection.](http://static.socialitelife.com/uploads/2011/05/darren-criss-suits-gq-05202011-08.jpg) He’d styled his hair a bit higher than usual, and he wore a [velvety burgundy bowtie](http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=88821046) that made him look like a Christmas present Kurt was eager to unwrap. Blaine in a tux was just perfection from top to toe, and Kurt’s eyes shone like stars at the thought that this beautiful man was all his. What had he ever done to deserve that?

Blaine seemed equally spellbound by Kurt in his finery, his expression awed and enraptured and his lips curved into a wide smile.

After a while, Kurt broke the silence. “Wow. You look absolutely stunning.”

“So do you,” whispered Blaine reverently. He laughed. “It’s like the song, you know.” He hummed softly and then sang: “You’re just too good to be true … can’t take my eyes off of you … ”

Kurt snorted. “You goofball!”

Blaine grinned and twirled around him. “You’d be like heaven to touch … I wanna hold you so much …”

And then Kurt grabbed Blaine by the waist, took his hand and danced him around the living room, singing along.

They ended the song at the top of their voices, collapsing onto the sofa in a breathless heap of limbs, laughing and giggling.

When they had recovered a bit and snuck a few kisses, Blaine jumped up and held out his hand for Kurt to take. “Shall we?”

Kurt took his hand and nodded.

“I checked out the gift registry for Naomi and Greg’s wedding online and bought some crystal champagne glasses as a wedding gift from us both,” said Blaine.

“I didn’t think of that,” answered Kurt ruefully. “Well, I made Naomi a going-away dress, and I consider that as my wedding gift to her. But it’s very thoughtful of you to have bought a gift for us both to give. Thank you so much.”

Blaine beamed.

Together, they walked to the venue. Kurt spotted Tina and Mike at the entrance of the hotel and waved at them. He squeezed Blaine’s hand and exchanged an excited smile with him.

_I love weddings. And it’s so much nicer to attend a wedding with your boyfriend than all by yourself._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song they're singing and dancing to is "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" by Frankie Valli.


	41. What A Beautiful Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've added some pictures to this chapter on Tumblr (lilyvandersteen as well) so that you can get an idea of what the characters are wearing. For Kurt: imagine the suit and tie in dark grey rather than black. For Tina: imagine her hair up in a bun and a white jacket over the dress.

“ _I would always rather be happy than dignified._ ” (Charlotte Brontë, _Jane Eyre_ )

Blaine was woken up by something tickling his ear. Still half asleep, he scratched his ear blindly and tried to turn on his side, but the tickling didn’t let up and there seemed to be a barrier that kept him from turning all the way on his side. He opened his eyes a fraction. The tickling proved to be Kurt breathing on his ear and the barrier was the arm Kurt had slung around him.

A happy smile stole over Blaine’s face, and he rolled onto his other side, facing Kurt, and drank in the beauty that was his sleeping boyfriend. However gorgeous Kurt was with a perfectly coordinated outfit and not a hair out of place, Blaine preferred this behind the scenes view. Kurt’s hair was sexily mussed, his beautiful lashes were brushing his cheeks and his enticing lips were just slightly parted. From his close vantage point, Blaine could see each and every freckle on Kurt’s face and admire the elfin refinement of his features.

After he had looked his fill, Blaine gently extricated himself from under Kurt’s arm, tucked him in again and padded off to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

He checked his watch and saw that it was only half past six, so he went to the kitchen and inspected the fridge and the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter to get ideas for breakfast.

Blaine frowned when he saw that there were no oranges, taking two grapefruits out of the bowl to press for juice instead. He ground coffee beans while he planned out the menu. In the end, he decided on French toast, yoghurt and a fruit salad. Moments later, he was happily slicing and chopping away, humming to himself.

When the fruit salad was done, he spooned out two portions of yoghurt and added a pinch of cinnamon, a few drops of vanilla essence and a swirl of golden syrup.

Next, he broke the eggs in a bowl for the French toast, and added some milk. By now, the humming had turned to full-out singing, and Blaine was running through his whole repertoire of morning songs.

He had just arranged the French toast onto two plates and was about to drizzle the toast with syrup, belting out “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning”, when footfalls alerted him to Kurt’s presence.

Blaine turned around and pouted when he saw that Kurt was already fully dressed and coiffed for the day.

_So much for bringing Kurt breakfast in bed and getting some cuddles and kisses …_

Kurt laughed at Blaine’s disappointment. Apparently, Blaine had only himself to blame. He’d been singing so loudly that he’d woken Kurt.

Kurt didn’t seem to mind, though. He pulled Blaine flush against him, kissing him thoroughly, and then told Blaine off for spoiling him rotten.

Blaine felt warmth well up in his chest and smiled from ear to ear. “I love having someone to spoil.”

“So I’m going to have to be the strict parent, huh?” said Kurt playfully. The moments the words had left his mouth, Kurt’s eyes went wide and he looked horrified.

_He’s probably panicking that he hinted at us having children together … Thinking that I’m going to freak out … He looks so cute when he’s all flustered, but there’s absolutely no reason for him to worry. I can totally picture us getting married and having children, and that doesn’t scare me at all. I want it all with him, one step at a time of course, but I’m definitely here to stay._

So Blaine chuckled lightly and replied that he wasn’t good at being strict, not even in class.

Kurt giggled nervously and blushed up a storm, while Blaine hid a smile and pretended not to notice anything out of the ordinary.

Kurt reproached Blaine again for getting out of bed and making so much effort to impress Kurt with his culinary prowess early in the morning.

Blaine explained that he always woke early and that he usually went for a run on weekend days. To his surprise, Kurt told Blaine where he could find Kurt’s keys if he wanted to sneak out for a morning run next time he slept over.

“You wouldn’t mind?” Blaine blurted out.

Kurt shook his head, his eyes limpid and honest. “Of course not. I trust you.”

That simple statement filled Blaine with a happiness so fierce that he could hardly breathe, and brought a smile to his lips that was so huge it probably looked ridiculous.

They enjoyed their leisurely breakfast together and washed the dishes. Then Blaine, who was still in his pyjamas, went to shower, while Kurt went to his workroom. Blaine found him there a bit later, hard at work sewing bow ties.

Blaine sat down next to Kurt, spinning funny stories about the future wearers of the bow ties until they were both giggling helplessly.

When the bow ties were finished, Blaine helped Kurt put the suits for the wedding party into garment bags, admiring each outfit and noticing small details like a heart-shaped button on the groom’s vest, and the beautiful label that marked the garment as a Kurt Hummel original. The label was Dior grey, and showed a stylised drawing of a hummingbird in bright turquoise. Next to it, in discreet lettering, the label read “Hummingbird by KEH”.

“What does the ‘E’ stand for?” Blaine asked, pointing to the label.

“My middle name,” answered Kurt. “My name used to be just Kurt Hummel, but after my mother passed away, I had it officially changed to Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, as a tribute to mom.”

“I’m sure she would have appreciated that,” Blaine said softly. “My middle name is Devon, after my grandfather, who was also my godfather. A formidable man. He had this penetrating gaze that never failed to make me a nervous wreck, and he could reduce me to tears with just a few choice words. If your father thinks I’m too polite, well, that’s due to my grandfather’s influence. I’ve probably had more lessons on proper behaviour and etiquette and protocol than most diplomats or butlers.”

Kurt snorted at that.

His customers showed up soon after. Blaine got acknowledging nods from a few of them, former Dalton boys like himself. Even the groom seemed vaguely familiar. Blaine thought he recognised him from a picture of a former Dalton lacrosse team in the common room.

When the wedding party had left, Kurt and Blaine went back upstairs to prepare and have lunch, and after that they left for Westerville.

Blaine was in the best of moods and put on a CD with happy Katy Perry songs while he drove to Westerville. Kurt grinned at Blaine singing along, wiggling in his seat and moving his head and arms to the beat.

In Blaine’s apartment, Kurt dumped his overnight bag in Blaine’s bedroom and then they both changed into their tuxes, Kurt in the bedroom and Blaine in the bathroom. Blaine was looking in the mirror and attempting to tame a stubborn curl just above his right ear when Kurt came in and bumped Blaine’s hip playfully. “Okay, you’ve hogged the bathroom long enough. Move over, please, I have to do my hair, too.”

Blaine turned around to stick his tongue out at Kurt, who was already busily styling away, trying to perfect his already immaculate hair, but every coherent thought left Blaine’s head when he took in the stunning vision before him. [Kurt’s tux was dark grey and fit him like a glove](http://blog.mary.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/9-Chris-Colfer.jpg?2c2c53), making Blaine’s fingers ache to trace the contours of Kurt’s body. Kurt wore a grey skinny tie with it that was just a shade lighter, and a [silver filigree butterfly brooch](http://rb.montecristosjewelry.com/images/original/444.jpg).

Kurt raised one eyebrow at Blaine’s silent assessment and turned to face him, his hair forgotten, the can of hairspray still loosely held in his hand. He seemed stunned speechless as well, raking his eyes over Blaine from head to toe hungrily. His face broke into an approving smile and his eyes shone brightly.

Kurt broke the spell by complimenting Blaine on his outfit, a compliment Blaine readily returned, joking that it was like the song “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You”. Before he knew it, he was singing and dancing with Kurt across the living room, until they both collapsed onto the sofa, laughing their heads off.

_I like it that we feel comfortable enough with each other to be downright silly sometimes._

Blaine tugged Kurt closer and captured his lips. A few blissful moments later, he pulled away and jumped up from the sofa. It was time to leave. He held out his hand to help Kurt up, and they put on their coats.

Blaine mentioned that he had bought a wedding gift for the happy couple through their online gift registry and had put both Kurt’s and his name under the congratulatory message he’d sent along with it. Kurt seemed touched by his thoughtfulness, and did not object to the joint gift, which made Blaine beam.

_I like how we’ve become a unit now._

They clasped hands and walked the short distance to the hotel. At the entrance, Blaine saw Tina and her [husband.](http://www.cufflinks.com/media/magmodules/gallery/resized/popup/814_814/2/0/20130127_harry-shum-jr_rr-488-lap-st_sterling-round-lapis-opus-studs_thumb_1.jpg) Kurt waved at them excitedly, and then squeezed Blaine’s hand and shot him a smile full of unadulterated joy.

Blaine smiled back happily. “Let’s go in.”

“Kurt! Blainey Days!” yelled Tina. [She looked gorgeous in a night-blue full-length gown](http://media4.popsugar-assets.com/files/2011/01/02/0/192/1922398/72ffa3f2cf0bb9f3_108076933_10.xxxlarge/i/Pictures-Jenna-Ushkowitz-2011-Golden-Globes-Red-Carpet-2011-01-16-154313.jpg), with a white jacket over it. Her hair was neatly pulled into a bun.

“Tay-Tay,” smiled Blaine, hugging her warmly and shaking her husband’s hand. “You look lovely.”

Tina quickly ran her eyes over him and whistled low. “Right back atcha, babe.”

She inspected Kurt’s outfit as well and nodded appreciatively. “Wow, you make a stunning couple! I think the women in there are going to be so disappointed you’re not on their team.”

Blaine and Kurt laughed, and all four of them went inside and sat down on the bride’s side for the ceremony, sliding into the row where Santana, Brittany, Quinn, Puck, Rachel and Finn were already sitting.

It was somewhat odd to see Finn in a tux, and his nervous fidgeting at his collar and tie attested that he didn’t feel too comfortable in this environment and these fancy clothes. [Puck](http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/c0ffSGmLUr_SjpTue_nBWQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD05ODE7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://l.yimg.com/os/289/2012/01/16/MarkSalling-GoldenGlobeAwards011512_010648.jpg) seemed to have the same reservations, but when he reached for his tie, Quinn firmly took his hand and tucked it into hers. Puck smiled at her sheepishly.

The girls were all looking beautiful. [Rachel was wearing hot pink](http://media3.popsugar-assets.com/files/2013/08/29/098/n/4852708/812b3e893b65c24c_160214424.xxxlarge_2x/i/Lea-Michele-standout-pink-alongside-Cory-Monteith-SAG.jpg), [Santana was a vision in red](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/7e/47/32/7e4732ec693fea4cd10d58a54ce28ede.jpg), [Brittany looked angelic in grey](http://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2011/09/125596682-419x629.jpg) and [Quinn wore a shiny teal dress](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/2a/e1/59/2ae159b55c3d5efe371669693204df96.jpg) that made her eyes pop and complemented her blonde curls admirably.

Blaine let his eye wander over the decorations. They were very tasteful. The colour scheme - white, baby pink and raspberry - matched Naomi’s dress.

In the front, he saw Nick and Jeff. Jeff seemed to be telling his nephew off, but Nick had noticed Blaine, and waved cheerily, mouthing “You look hot!” and then fanning himself and fake-swooning.

Blaine grinned at Nick’s antics and mouthed back “You too!”.

That was true. [Niff looked amazing in their tuxes](http://blog-imgs-54.fc2.com/k/c/a/kcawo/dc110804_convert_20121229000713.jpg). Still, they had nothing on Kurt. He squeezed Kurt’s hand and looked at him.

Kurt looked back with narrowed eyes. Clearly, he’d noticed Nick and Blaine’s exchange. “Flirting with other men, are we, Mr Anderson?”

Blaine grinned impishly. “Maybe I want you to get all possessive and show him you’re mine.”

Kurt raised his eyebrows. “And how do you propose I go about that?”

Blaine’s grin grew wider and more challenging. “I’m sure you can think of something, Mr Hummel.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Blaine sings while preparing breakfast is "Oh, What A Beautiful Morning", from the musical Oklahoma!  
> The song our boys are dancing to in Chapter 40 and in this chapter is "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You", by Frankie Valli.


	42. The Wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wedding was so much fun to research and write. I'm adding a few pictures for you on Tumblr (lilyvandersteen too) to get an idea what the table decorations and wedding cake (please imagine white butterflies instead of yellow ones) look like :-)

“ _The wedding flowed into the reception party smoothly - proof of Alice’s flawless planning. It was just twilight over the river; the ceremony had lasted exactly the right amount of time, allowing the sun to set behind the trees._ ” (Stephenie Meyer, _Breaking Dawn_ )

Kurt’s eyes widened and he swallowed with difficulty. For a moment, Blaine feared he’d pushed too much and gone overboard. After all, they hadn’t progressed very far in their physical relationship, and this was a public place and a very formal occasion.

Then a small devious smile crept over Kurt’s face, and the anxious knot in Blaine’s stomach untwisted itself.

Very subtly, Kurt moved their joined hands closer to Blaine’s inner thigh, and started rubbing it with tiny, almost imperceptible movements, but Blaine, who was very sensitive there, felt them keenly. It was the sweetest torture. Blaine dug his free hand hard into his other thigh to keep from whimpering. He didn’t know whether to beg Kurt to stop or to please go on and go further because that felt so good.

And then Kurt put his chin on Blaine’s shoulder and started whispering in his ear, his hot breath washing over the ticklish skin, titillating and driving Blaine to distraction. He barely made sense of what Kurt was saying. He only vaguely noticed that Nick was watching them with an eyebrow quirked, looking impressed and intrigued. Blaine felt his cheeks burn and lowered his eyes, exhaling shakily.

A split second later, Kurt had resumed his former position, his back ramrod straight, their hands dangling between them. Blaine shot him a quick glance. Kurt seemed completely unaffected by what he’d just done to Blaine. A triumphant smile and a chin tilted slightly higher than usual were the only signs that anything out of the ordinary had happened.

_Wow. That was … Interesting … I should make Kurt jealous more often …_

And then Pachelbel’s Canon started to play and Blaine focussed on Naomi walking down the aisle in her beautiful pink dress, looking positively radiant with happiness. Did her hubby-to-be look just as happy? Blaine turned to check, and yes, Greg looked excited and enraptured.

Blaine sighed in satisfaction.

_How I love weddings!_

He felt Kurt squeeze his hand questioningly, and flashed him a brilliant smile, whispering: “She looks so gorgeous in that dress. You did a splendid job!”

Kurt nodded proudly and smiled a bit tremulously, overcome with emotion. With a choked-up voice, he said: “She does me credit. And she looks so happy. It’s wonderful to see.”

“I didn’t take you for someone who cries at weddings,” teased Blaine.

“Everyone cries at weddings,” stated Kurt. “Just you wait until they get to their vows. And in my case, it’s residual stress from whipping the dress into shape on such short notice. I’m so relieved I finished it on time. And it looks so good on her.”

“I know, sweetie,” smiled Blaine, and he lifted up their entwined hands and kissed Kurt’s.

The wedding vows were just as moving as Kurt had predicted, and even Puck wiped a tear away.

The ceremony flowed into the reception with effortless ease, in spite of the many guests. Kurt and Blaine went to pay their respects to Naomi and Greg and their parents and family at large. Kurt was detained quite a while by Naomi’s mother, while Blaine greeted the Dalton alumni he recognised and chatted with them about their jobs and families.

Then it was announced that dinner would be served, and all the guests converged on their tables and took a seat. At the entrance, each guest had been given a card that corresponded with the decorations on their designated table. Kurt and Blaine had a card with a picture of a tree with garlands and lanterns hanging from it, and their table was decorated with a white miniature tree, crystal ornaments hanging from it, as well as glass hanging candle holders with white candles in them. At the base of the tree, there was a flower arrangement with white roses. It all looked enchanting. 

_It’s all very tasteful. The wedding planner did an excellent job. Though I’d never want to get married in winter. I’d prefer a spring or summer wedding. Preferably with an outdoors reception._

Behind them, Blaine could hear Brittany say: “Oh look, Santana, someone forgot their jewellery holder on our table!”

He exchanged a quick look with Kurt and bit down a smile.

“They didn’t forget it, Britt-Britt,” drawled Santana. “They put it there on purpose.”

“Because it looks pretty?” asked Brittany.

“Because it looks pretty,” confirmed Santana.

They all sat down at their table and listened to a few speeches. Blaine especially liked the speech given by the father of the bride. Naomi’s dad was down-to-earth and whimsical and funny, and his speech moved both to tears and to giggles.

After the speeches, the food was brought out. There again, the planning proved flawless: everyone was served quickly, every dish was presented artistically and the hot dishes were served piping hot. There were several courses, each of them delicious, and by the time the waiters came and offered the guests a second helping of the main course, Blaine was uncomfortably full already. Finn, however, smiled brightly and gestured for his plate to be filled again.

When the wedding cake was wheeled in, Blaine was blown away by the artful concoction. [It was a tower of pink roses, with white butterflies dancing around them](http://cakesandcupcakesmumbai.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/wedding-engagment-designer-concept-cake-cupcakes-2014-mumbai-8.png). Behind the wedding cake followed other trolleys with cupcake holders in the shape of rosebushes, holding adorable rose baby cupcakes, once again in white, baby pink and raspberry.

All the guests cheered loudly when Naomi and Greg cut off the first pieces of the cake and fed them to each other. Naomi burst into a fit of giggles when she noticed she’d fed Greg so clumsily that he had ended up with pink icing on his nose. She quickly swiped it off with her index finger and put it in her mouth, prompting her mother to hiss “Naomi!” in outrage. Naomi didn’t pay any attention to her mom, though, pulling Greg to her for a kiss, while the photographers were happily clicking away, as fast as they could.

Next came the throwing of the bouquet, and there again, Naomi rebelled. She looked over her shoulder at the crowd of hopeful unmarried girls behind her, grimaced, and then shot a glance straight at the table where Blaine and the others were sitting. A mischievous grin appeared on her face, and with admirable aim, she tossed the bouquet straight onto Kurt’s lap, who started visibly. Naomi winked at Kurt, causing him to blush furiously and then bury his face into the flowers to escape attention.

This time, Naomi’s mother merely shook her head, tutted indulgently and watched Kurt’s discomfiture with a soft smile.

_She must really like him …_

Greg took off Naomi’s garter and shot it at the youngest of his groomsmen, who blushed as well and caught the eye of one the bouquet-catching girls.

Then the wedded couple’s first dance was announced, and Greg took Naomi’s hand and led her to the dance floor. They positioned themselves and waited for the music to start.

What happened next was downright spectacular, though not intended. Jeff’s nephew Ian, the ring bearer, had behaved himself admirably during the ceremony, and had been rushing between the tables during dinner. Blaine hadn’t noticed him for a while, though. Ian’s disappearance and silence, in hindsight, should have been highly suspicious.

Now, however, everyone present noticed Ian with a vengeance. Somehow, he’d managed to climb onto one of the ballroom’s chandeliers, and now he was swinging it back and forth, shouting at the top of his lungs: “Go Greg! Go Naomi! Show us your moves!”

The chandelier, which clearly had not been designed with acrobatics in mind, snapped after just a couple of swings, and fell, along with Ian, onto a table holding bottles of wine and water that stood just in front of the DJ table. The table fell over and crashed into the DJ table. The bottles smashed, glass flying everywhere and the contents flowing all over the DJ’s equipment, causing a bang and a blinding flash, and then the whole room was plunged into darkness.


	43. Unforeseen

“ _With a somewhat violent whoosh, Bina’s bridal bouquet hurtled through the air toward the terrace. Kate stepped back in time to avoid being seen by the crowd below. To her amazement, the bouquet fell with a splat at her feet. Startled, she and Billy stared at it silently. She felt paralyzed with embarrassment and ... fear. Her longing was almost too much to bear. Then Billy broke the moment by stooping gracefully, picking it up, and offering it to her. Kate accepted it as if in a dream. She stared down at the bouquet in her hands, then at Billy, then back to the bouquet. She said a silent prayer that this moment wasn’t just a coincidence. That it meant something real and lasting. She knew she was blushing, but she forced herself to look at Billy Nolan, even if it gave her away._ ” (Olivia Goldsmith, _Dumping Billy_ )

Tina came running towards them, yelling their names. She had pinned up her hair, with just a few strands artfully escaping here and there. Her dress was blue and ruffled, with a bejewelled belt, and her shoes were silver and blue.

Blaine complimented her on her outfit, and Kurt nodded in agreement, only bristling a little when she gave Blaine a once-over and whistled at him.

_Mine!_

Kurt quickly resumed his poker face when Tina turned to look him up and down as well. She looked impressed, and implied that all the women at the wedding would be lusting after them both. That made Kurt laugh.

They went inside and found the others, who were all looking equally splendid in their finery. Kurt sat down next to Quinn and looked at the front rows, where he saw the groom, his best man and the groomsmen. He smiled proudly. They all looked very distinguished.

He saw the ring bearer as well, and next to him Jeff and Nick. Jeff was reprimanding Ian, but Nick was looking behind him, straight at Blaine, with a cheeky smile and wiggly eyebrows, silently signalling that Blaine looked hot.

He turned towards Blaine and saw him respond in kind. Kurt didn’t like that. He didn’t like that one bit.

Right at that moment, Blaine squeezed Kurt’s hand and smiled at him sweetly. Kurt scowled back and snapped: “Flirting with other men, are we, Mr Anderson?”

In answer Kurt got no denial, no placating, but a goading smirk and a flippant remark about Blaine wanting his boyfriend to act all possessive.

_Wait, what? You must be joking, right? We’re at a wedding ceremony! In the grandest venue for miles around! With some of the snobbiest people in all Ohio, who sniff and turn away in disgust when they see two men or two women holding hands! You want me to publicly stake my claim here?_

Kurt raised his eyebrows incredulously and rebukingly. “And how do you propose I go about that?”

Blaine didn’t pick up on Kurt’s discomfort. He only smirked wider still, and positively growled out his answer: “I’m sure you can think of something, Mr Hummel.”

Kurt swallowed convulsively.

_Wow, his voice sounds so sexy like that. What has gotten into him? Well, man up, Hummel, you’re not one to back away from a challenge. If Blaine wants to tease, tease him right back and make him squirm._

And squirm Blaine did. The moment Kurt started caressing Blaine’s thigh, Blaine’s breathing hitched and became ever more ragged. That made Kurt’s confidence grow.

Nick was still looking over his shoulder, but no longer at Blaine alone, he was looking at him and Kurt both, curiously. Kurt fixed him with blazing eyes, sending him a clear message to BACK OFF.

Never breaking the eye contact with Nick, Kurt took to whispering in Blaine’s ear. “So you like it when I get all jealous, do you? Well, we’ve got Nick’s attention now. He’s staring at us and he’s quite mesmerised. I believe I’m making my point loud and clear. You’re mine, and I’m a selfish only child, who’s never learned how to share, and I’m not about to start now.”

Nick quirked an eyebrow at them, and Blaine sagged back in his chair, drawing in a quivering breath, his cheeks flaming and his eyes downcast.

_I believe I have made my point._

Kurt sat up straight again and completely ignored his boyfriend, whom he had just turned into jelly. He shot a last, smug look at Nick and then focussed on the interior of the ballroom and the beautiful flower arrangements decorating it, a satisfied smile playing about his lips.

Then a beautiful woman with the same dark auburn curls as Naomi - her sister? - started to play on her harp, and everyone rose and looked back towards the doors, craning their necks to see the bride make her grand entrance. The flower girl, bridesmaids and maid of honour came first, each of them wearing a [tulle lilac dress with white embroidery](http://www.honeybuy.com/image/WDH1_557_Floor_Length_Appliques_A_Line_Tulle_Lilac_Wedding_Dress_with_Straps_9583624393876327.jpg). Behind them followed Naomi, on her father’s arm.

Naomi looked on top of the world. She had a blissful expression on her face and marched to the front with confident strides, which were maybe a bit too long to be called graceful. Her dress hugged her luscious body in all the right places. Kurt chanced a glance at Greg and was pleased to see that he clearly couldn’t tear his eyes off of her.

_Mission accomplished._

Next to him, Blaine let out a deep sigh.

_What’s the matter?_

He squeezed Blaine’s hand lightly. Blaine beamed at him, his expression dreamy, and praised him for having made such a beautiful dress.

Kurt nodded in agreement. Somehow, that sweet compliment brought tears to his eyes and a lump to his throat, and his reply sounded as shaky as he felt.

Blaine gently teased him for tearing up, and when Kurt defended himself, Blaine just smiled and kissed his hand, and really, that shouldn’t have made his heart flutter as much as it did.

After the ceremony, Kurt and Blaine waited in line to shake hands with the newlyweds and their parents and family.

Naomi introduced Kurt to her mother, who thanked him for saving the dress and turning it into the magazine-worthy garment it was now. She also gushed about the going-away dress, and promised that this would certainly bring him more business. She even complimented him on his own outfit and asked whether he’d made it himself as well.

When dinner was announced, Kurt and Blaine looked for their table. Kurt was relieved to find that they were sitting with their friends and not with some snobbish strangers.

Kurt liked the winter-themed table decorations. All the tables had white decorations. Some of them were flower arrangements in vases. Other tables just had candles, in what seemed to be a giant champagne flute. And some tables, like theirs, had a miniature tree. At their table, it was decorated with crystal ornaments and candles. Other trees had flower chains. It was eclectic, yes, but the overall effect was quite charming. Whoever had chosen these decorations had both taste and personality. 

Rachel, of course, couldn’t help but compare this wedding to hers, but surprisingly, she did not consider her wedding a thousand times better. She actually approved of everything, and said rather wistfully that she really liked weddings, and that she might consider branching out her business and start planning weddings as well.

They listened to a speech by Greg’s mom, which was tearful and heartfelt, and then a speech by Naomi’s dad, who was so much like his daughter that Kurt liked him at once. After that, it was the best man’s turn, who turned out to be a friend from Greg’s college days and recounted a few choice anecdotes that made everyone laugh, even Greg. Last came the speech by the maid of honour, who was very nervous and spoke much too quietly. Kurt felt a bit sorry for her.

Finn’s eyes gleamed as soon as the food was brought out. All the courses were exquisite, and beautifully arranged on the plates. Kurt especially liked the partridge, which came with a colourful assortment of autumn vegetables and a light but fragrant sauce.

After such a sumptuous dinner, it came as no surprise that the wedding cake, too, was larger than life and a true work of art. And the best thing was that, next to the big cake, there were also baby cupcakes, with icing piped in the form of a rose. Kurt helped himself to a white cupcake and bit into it delicately, so as to be able to enjoy it longer.

When everyone had eaten a piece of cake, Naomi went to stand in the middle of the dance floor, waving her bouquet tantalisingly until all the unmarried girls had gotten the hint and had gathered behind her.

She didn’t toss the bouquet immediately, though. She seemed to be scanning the tables for someone. At long last, she grinned and prepared to toss. Only, she did not throw the flowers in the direction of the assembled girls striving to catch it.

Kurt, who’d been watching longingly at the bouquet and at the huddle of girls ready to grab it, gave a start when the flowers fell into his lap, and looked at Naomi with eyes big as saucers. She winked at him. A fierce blush spread from his neck to the tips of his ears, and he hastily hid his face behind the bouquet.

_So that’s what she had in mind! I very much doubt that I will be the next person here to get married, but it’s such a lovely gesture. And the flowers are beautiful. I’ll dry them and hang them on the wall in my workroom._

Kurt totally missed the taking off of the garter and only resurfaced when the wedding dance was announced and his blush had somewhat subsided. He saw Greg and Naomi get into position. Naomi was easily a head shorter than Greg, who was tall and thin, and looked every bit as awkward and out of place on the dance floor as Naomi had said he was. He looked fiercely determined to dance well, though.

_I’m rooting for you, Greg. You can do it! Here’s hoping that Naomi’s toes won’t suffer too much …_

And then a high-pitched war cry rang out from somewhere close to the ceiling, and everyone looked up and then gasped in horror.

Somehow, Ian the Imp had managed to climb onto one of the ballroom’s massive chandeliers, and now he was sitting on it, swinging it back and forth and gleefully shouting encouragements at the newlyweds. The chandelier groaned and creaked on its chain.

_Uh-oh, someone get that child off the chandelier or this is not going to end well …_

But before anyone could reach Ian and pull him down, the chain ended up snapping, and Ian and the chandelier plummeted down. They hit a table full of wine and water bottles, which then crashed into the music equipment, the bottles smashing and wine and water leaking all over the DJ set and speakers. The equipment sizzled like a firecracker and then the wires exploded with a flash of light and a loud bang. That seemed to have short-circuited the entire ballroom, because at once, all the lights went out.

A stunned silence fell, followed by a general hubbub, until a clear and authoritative voice rang out. “Okay, nobody panic. It’s just a temporary power outage. Finn, call 9-1-1 and tell them to send an ambulance for the child and the DJ. Tell them that it’s probably a concussion and several breaks for the child and electrocution for the DJ. Nobody touch the DJ, he’s been electrocuted and if you touch him now, you’ll fare the same. Could somebody of the hotel personnel switch off the electricity for this room until it’s been fixed? And please bring more candles or some battery-powered lights.”

It was Rachel. Her event planning training had clearly kicked in, and her far-reaching voice and instant grasp of the situation seemed to reassure most of the guests, who sat back down. It also spurred the waiters and maître d’hôtel into action, who quickly provided alternative lighting and came to inform Rachel that they had switched off the electricity and contacted an electrician. Finn called 9-1-1, and with some help from Blaine, quickly and efficiently told what had happened and asked for an ambulance or two.

Thankfully, there happened to be a hospital a few blocks away, and within five minutes, paramedics came running in, carrying two stretchers. They secured Ian and the DJ onto them and ran out again, Ian’s parents trailing behind, with anxious and tautly drawn faces.

“Come,” said Rachel softly to everyone at their table, and herded them towards Naomi and Greg. Naomi looked shaken and deathly pale. She took Rachel’s arm in a vice grip and whispered: “Rach … Do you think Ian will be alright? That was a frightful fall!”

Rachel nodded. “His arm or leg might be broken, and he might have a concussion, and cuts from the glass flying around, but nothing major, I think. Luckily, he was sitting on top of the chandelier, not hanging under it, so it must have broken his fall a bit. Is he family?”

“He’s my nephew,” sobbed Naomi. Greg pulled her closer to him, her face against his chest, and started stroking her hair soothingly.

Rachel shot them both a sympathetic look. She seemed to mull something over in her head and then nodded decisively. “Well, in that case, I suggest you postpone your wedding dance until you’ve heard he’s doing okay. Send your brother or sister a text and ask them to let you know as soon as possible. Can you do that?”

Naomi looked at Greg, who dug up a small smartphone from his inside pocket and handed it to her. She composed a text and sent it, and then looked up at Rachel again, expectantly.

“Okay,” said Rachel. “Now, obviously, the DJ table is ruined, so it will have to be live music instead for your opening dance and the rest of the evening. And you’re in luck that you’ve invited our bunch of friends, because we were once national show choir champions, and all of us are pretty good singers, if I say so myself.”

“Except for me,” Mike piped up hastily, and everyone laughed.

Rachel continued, undeterred. “And we’re used to impromptu performances, so no worries there. Can you tell me what your opening song was supposed to be?”

“Is This Love, by Bob Marley,” answered Naomi.

“Okay, we can make that work,” murmured Rachel. “Let’s talk set list, shall we?”

But before they could all huddle together and strategize, an angry voice sniped: “Who are you? And who gave you the right to come meddling in our affairs?”


	44. Rachel to the Rescue

“ _Her gaze drifted to Jackson as she poured her heart into the song. The look he sent back to her surpassed anything that had come before. He looked enthralled. It was a look that filled her up inside with a smile._ ” ( _Unforgettable_ , by Julie Ortolon)

Kurt turned around and saw the harp-playing lady, dressed in a tasteful lilac gown that resembled the bridesmaids’ dresses. Behind her stood Mrs Keller, Naomi’s mother, who lay a calming hand on her shoulder and replied: “This is one of the girls who helped rescue your sister’s wedding gown, Ruth, and she’s dealt with our little crisis here admirably so far, so let her continue, please.”

Rachel beamed. “My name is Rachel Hudson, and I’m an event planner, ma’am. I usually plan birthday parties for children, so I’m very used to unforeseen situations and the odd crisis here and there.”

Mrs Keller smiled back at her and clarified: “I’m Susan Keller, Naomi’s mother. Nice to meet you.” She held out her hand, and Rachel shook it.

“So you’re proposing that you and your friends entertain us this evening by singing a cappella, if I understand correctly?” Susan asked.

“That’s right, ma’am,” replied Rachel.

“You’ve performed together before?” Susan continued.

“Yes, ma’am, we were in show choir together,” explained Rachel.

“And you think you have enough songs in your repertoire to fill an entire evening?” Susan probed.

“We have several hours’ worth of solos and duets and group songs,” Rachel assured her. “Not to mention that there are a few Dalton Warblers here, too, and I’m sure they could be persuaded upon to sing. Right, Blaine?”

Blaine nodded and beamed. “I could run home and fetch my guitar? I have two guitars in fact, if any of you play?”

“Dude, that would be awesome,” said Puck, and fist-bumped Blaine. They left together to go fetch the guitars.

“Well, I can see that you have it all figured out,” Susan smiled approvingly. “So by all means, please continue to discuss your set list with Naomi and Greg. I’m looking forward to hearing all of you sing.”

She took Ruth, who still looked less than happy, firmly by the arm and steered her back to their table.

A loud beep announced the arrival of a text message, and Naomi quickly flipped her phone open to check it.

“It’s my brother,” she said. “Ian’s arm is broken, and they’re taking pieces of glass out of his skin and stitching him together wherever necessary. He doesn’t seem to have a concussion, though. I’m so relieved. It might have been so much worse.”

“And the DJ?” asked Greg.

Naomi started typing furiously, and soon, her phone beeped again.

“Oh,” she said. “The DJ’s going to be fine, they think. He has to stay in hospital overnight, though, just to make sure. He was lucky he reacted in time and took his headphones off.”

“So they’re both out of danger?” inquired Susan, who’d come straight back to Naomi when she heard that there was news, another beautiful redhead following in her wake.

“They are, thank heavens,” sighed Naomi. “Where were Charles and Emily when Ian was climbing that chandelier, in fact? They know they always have to keep an eye on him!”

“Daphne had to go potty, so your brother took her, and Emily was breastfeeding James,” explained Susan. “She only noticed what Ian had done when he started yelling, and then he fell almost straightaway.”

“Wasn’t Jeff around to mind Ian?” Naomi asked.

Susan shook her head. “I haven’t seen him for a while. He must be somewhere around, though.”

“Well, it can’t be helped now,” shrugged Naomi. “Mom, maybe you could make an announcement that Ian and the DJ are both okay and that we’re doing the opening dance now? If that’s okay with you, Rachel?”

Susan and Rachel both nodded. Susan stepped onto the dance floor and cleared her throat to catch everyone’s attention.

Rachel looked at all the New Directioners and said: “We can do this. I’ll start singing “Is This Love” and we’ll do the refrain together, okay? Does everyone know the lyrics?”

Mike let out a long-suffering sigh and said: “Well, Brittany and I certainly know it. We’ve been coaching Naomi and Greg for their opening dance, remember? So we’ve heard the song over and over again.”

“Okay, you two can back me up then,” decided Rachel.

“Uhm, excuse me?” said the redheaded girl.

Rachel turned to her, rather impatiently. “Yes?”

“I’m Leah, Naomi’s other sister,” the girl said. “I heard you’re going to be singing tonight. If you like, I could help you out by playing the harp? My sister is better at it, but I’m alright. And I have modern songs in my repertoire, too. I can do “Get Lucky”, by Daft Punk.”

She gave Rachel a hopeful look.

“I see,” said Rachel. “And you sing, too?”

Leah nodded and beamed.

“Well, maybe you could do “Get Lucky” just after the opening dance then,” mused Rachel. “That gives us the opportunity to discuss who will sing what song, and it buys Blaine and Puck time to bring us guitars. Is that alright with you?”

“Absolutely!” trilled Leah.

On the dance floor, Susan was wrapping up her speech, announcing that there would be a cappella singing and asking the guests to please be quiet so that the singers needn’t strain their voices to be heard. She waved Naomi and Greg over, who resumed their dance positions. Rachel, Brittany and Mike stood to the side of the dance floor and Mike and Brittany started beat-boxing to create percussion sounds, while Rachel took care of the singing, the other New Directioners chiming in for the refrain. It sounded lovely. Naomi and Greg danced beautifully and got a nice hand of applause at the end of the song.

While Leah sang “Get Lucky”, they decided on the next few songs. Tina would sing “Because You Loved Me” as the father-daughter song, and Kurt would follow up with “I Have Nothing”. After that, Quinn and Santana would tackle “Take My Breath Away”. Rachel and Finn would duet on “Faithfully” and Santana and Brittany on “Dance With Somebody”.

Blaine and Puck came back in and hurried towards them with the guitars and with Nick and Jeff in tow.

“We want to help out, too,” said Nick and Jeff in unison.

So they thought of some more songs. Blaine was going to sing “A Sky Full of Stars”, Finn “Just the Way You Are” and Puck “Here Without You”. Then Nick and Jeff would sing “Uptown Girl”, and Niff and Blaine together would sing “Teenage Dream”, followed by Puck and Rachel singing “Need You Now”. Blaine and Tina would duet on “More than a Feeling”. Then all of them would attempt “For the Longest Time” and “Somebody to Love”, after which Rachel would wow the audience with “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now”.

Leah finished, and [Tina took her place, singing her heart out](http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130212125942/glee/it/images/4/40/Bylm.png), while Mike looked on with pride. [Then it was Kurt’s turn, and he poured his heart into the song,](http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121208063332/es-glee/es/images/6/60/09x05_Being_Alive.png) trying to convey his ever-growing feelings for Blaine, who stared at him with awe and pride.

They ran through their set list without a hitch, and even incorporated a few songs requested by the audience: “Dancing Queen”, “Good Vibrations” and “This Is the Life” as group songs, “Crossfire” as a Blaine solo, [“Black Velvet” sung by Santana and Rachel](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YEyaDxPS_rA/Us9S4rJukpI/AAAAAAAAE60/DjiuT9ps-Ls/s1600/Rachel-Santana_Season_4.png), [“If I Ain’t Got You” as a duet between Kurt and Blaine](http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130208050712/glee/images/e/ef/Just.png) and [“Summer of ‘69” by Finn and Puck](http://www.usnews.com/dims4/USNEWS/b278ac1/2147483647/resize/652x%3E/quality/85/?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2F85%2F6c57604a8e33829f1e81b3d4ba282e%2F44524WideModern_Monteith_130715.jpg).

Kurt was blown away by Blaine’s performances. “A Sky Full of Stars” sounded so pure and perfect that it gave him goose bumps, “Teenage Dream” made him fanboy and flail internally at how sexy his boyfriend was, “More Than a Feeling” was ideal for admiring Blaine’s dance skills and “Crossfire” sent chills down his spine with how well Blaine hit every note.

While they were singing “For the Longest Time”, the lights flickered back on, and the maître d’hôtel brought them microphones and wheeled in a karaoke machine. All the guests clapped excitedly, and some of them clamoured for their turn to sing, so when the New Directioners and Warblers were through their set list, they gladly gave the floor to the would-be singers. They went back to their table, confiscating two more chairs for Nick and Jeff and sagged back in their chairs with exhausted but satisfied sighs.

“We should do this again sometime,” mumbled Blaine tiredly, lacing his fingers through Kurt’s, who shuffled his chair closer until their thighs and sides were touching and kissed his cheek.

“Yeah,” agreed the others, smiling.

A waiter came and offered each of them a glass of champagne, which they accepted gratefully.

Kurt sipped his champagne slowly, savouring each bubbly mouthful. Blaine felt warm and comforting against him, and he caught himself nodding off.

_Oh no no no, not before I’ve danced with Blaine!_

So he got up and held out his hand for Blaine to take. “Dance with me?”

Blaine beamed and took his hand.

Leah was singing again, “True Colours” this time, and while she couldn’t hold a candle to any of Kurt’s girlfriends, he had to admit that she sounded okay.

Kurt had thought they’d just be shuffling around the dance floor, slow dancing, but Blaine clearly had other ideas, bringing his best moves to the floor, twirling Kurt around and dipping him with abandon, until the other couples moved away and just watched.

When the song was over, they got a round of applause and some catcalls, which made Blaine grin and Kurt blush. Blaine pulled Kurt flush against him and leant in for a kiss.

Then a voice spoke behind them. “Blaine? Blaine, is that you?”

Blaine froze, his eyes widening, and he slowly turned around. Kurt did too, and saw a couple about the age of Mr and Mrs Keller.

“It is Blaine!” said the woman to her husband excitedly. He sniffed, unimpressed.

“Taking a leaf out of your brother’s book, are you?” inquired the man icily. “Not content until you’ve hogged all the attention and scandalised everyone thoroughly?”

Blaine let out a small sigh, squared his shoulders and intoned: “Good evening, father, mother.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, Blaine's father isn't being very nice, is he? And where was Jeff exactly during the Ian incident?
> 
> These are the songs mentioned in the chapter (oh dear, it's a sizeable list ...):
> 
> "Is This Love", by Bob Marley
> 
> "Get Lucky", by Daft Punk
> 
> "Because You Loved Me", by Céline Dion
> 
> "I Have Nothing", by Whitney Houston
> 
> "Take My Breath Away", by Berlin
> 
> "Faithfully", by Journey
> 
> "Dance With Somebody", by Whitney Houston
> 
> "A Sky Full of Stars", by Coldplay
> 
> "Just the Way You Are", by Bruno Mars
> 
> "Here Without You", by 3 Doors Down
> 
> "Uptown Girl", by Billy Joel
> 
> "Teenage Dream", by Katy Perry
> 
> "Need You Now", by Lady Antebellum
> 
> "More than a Feeling", by Boston
> 
> "For the Longest Time", by Billy Joel
> 
> "Somebody to Love", by Queen
> 
> "It's All Coming Back to Me Now", by Céline Dion 
> 
> "Dancing Queen", by Abba
> 
> "Good Vibrations", by the Beach Boys
> 
> "This Is the Life", by Amy McDonald
> 
> "Crossfire", by Brandon Flowers
> 
> "Black Velvet", by Alannah Myles
> 
> "If I Ain't Got You", by Alicia Keys
> 
> "Summer of '69", by Bryan Adams
> 
> "True Colours", by Cyndi Lauper


	45. A Nasty Shock

“ _Sylvia rose and came forward to Janet Moore's side at the organ. The next moment her beautiful voice soared through the building like the very soul of melody - true, clear, powerful, sweet. Nobody in Spencervale had ever listened to such a voice, except Old Lady Lloyd herself, who, in her youth, had heard enough good singing to enable her to be a tolerable judge of it. She realized instantly that this girl of her heart had a great gift-a gift that would some day bring her fame and fortune, if it could be duly trained and developed._ ” (Lucy Maud Montgomery, _Chronicles of Avonlea_ )

Blaine made to run towards the child, but Rachel’s stentorian voice stopped him where he stood. She gave out orders, and managed to calm everyone present in the process.

Rachel asked Finn to call 9-1-1, and Blaine pulled at his sleeve. “Come on, let’s go assess the damage first, so that the paramedics know what to expect.”

They ran to the boy, who was conscious but crying and clutching his right arm. The DJ lay a bit further away, clearly out cold. He wasn’t wearing his headphones. Blaine supposed he must have seen the danger come, taken them off as fast as he could, and dived away from the falling chandelier and the smashing bottles. He lay curled up in a ball, his arms protecting his face. He still must have gotten an electric shock from the jungle of criss-crossing wires beneath him, but it would have been lethal if he’d still had his headphones on.

Blaine and Finn kept well away from the wires, and kept the parents of the child away as well. The mother was crying hysterically, repeating “Ian, Ian, Ian” as a mantra and hugging and kissing Ian, who tried to squirm away and then screamed in pain. The father tried to comfort both his wife and his son, looking harried and guilty.

Finn called 9-1-1, and when an emergency dispatcher answered the call, Blaine first provided the address of the venue, and Finn gave his number for verification. Then they explained the situation together: an accident with two victims, one conscious but with a broken arm, the other electrocuted and unconscious. The dispatcher told them not to touch the electrocuted person, and said that the Westerville Medical Campus would be alerted straightaway and would send ambulances and EMTs.

“The hospital is just a few blocks from here,” said Blaine to Finn. “They should be here soon.”

Meanwhile, Rachel was asking the hotel staff to switch off the electricity until it was fixed and to provide alternative lighting, which they did with commendable haste and efficiency.

It barely took five minutes for the EMTs to arrive. They quickly assessed the situation, ascertaining that the electricity had been switched off, and then strapped both Ian and the DJ onto stretchers and ran back to the ambulances. Ian’s parents followed, arms around each other’s waists for comfort and still looking pale and worried.

Blaine and Finn looked around and saw Rachel and the others talking to the newlyweds, so they went and joined them.

Rachel and Naomi were discussing Ian’s condition, and whether or not to continue the festivities. Rachel was in favour of waiting until Naomi heard from Ian’s parents, and offered to sing, along with the other New Directioners, to replace the injured DJ and provide musical entertainment for the rest of the evening.

Before Blaine could offer his singing services, someone else interrupted, telling Rachel off for interfering. It turned out to be Naomi’s sister Ruth, but she didn’t get far in her attempt to scare Rachel off. Naomi’s mother Susan intervened and said that she had every confidence in Rachel’s managing abilities.

Susan just wanted to know whether Rachel and her friends knew enough songs to fill an entire evening programme.

Rachel reassured her in that regard, and added that Blaine and Jeff probably wouldn’t mind joining in as well.

Blaine nodded enthusiastically, grinning from ear to ear, and offered to run home for his acoustic guitars, so as to provide some musical accompaniment for their singing. Puck said he played the guitar as well, and came along with Blaine to go fetch the guitars.

Once they were outside and jogging to Blaine’s apartment, Blaine caught Puck looking at him thoughtfully. Puck seemed on the verge of saying something, but held it in.

“What is it?” asked Blaine.

“Aren’t you that writer dude who helped us set up the book fair?” inquired Puck.

“Yes, that’s me,” confirmed Blaine.

“We talked about Sebastian Smythe and about Mark Easterbrook,” continued Puck.

“Yes,” answered Blaine, a bit puzzled as to where this was going.

“And you said you were a huge big fan of Mark Easterbrook,” Puck went on.

“I’m a big fan, yes,” admitted Blaine.

“And now you’re dating Kurt?” Puck asked.

The non sequitur baffled Blaine a bit, but he was always ready to talk about Kurt being his boyfriend.

“Yes, I am,” beamed Blaine. “We met at that book fair.”

“Uhuh,” said Puck, smirking.

“What?” asked Blaine.

“It just got me thinking, that’s all,” Puck shrugged nonchalantly. He offered no further explanation, and Blaine, though nonplussed, decided to drop it.

In his apartment, he grabbed one guitar and Puck the other, and they rushed back to the hotel.

They went to hang up their coats in the cloakroom again, and to Blaine’s surprise, they ran into Nick and Jeff there. He explained that the New Directions would be singing, and that he would join in as well. Niff said they were in, too, and came along.

In the ballroom, they found Rachel, and Nick and Jeff announced that they also wanted to perform.

Together, they discussed what songs they were going to sing. Tina was up first, and did a lovely job with “Because You Loved Me”.

Then Kurt took her place, and from the moment he opened his mouth, Blaine’s heart soared and he couldn’t have looked away if he tried.

_Oh wow. Oh wow! His voice is exceptional. His range is incredible. And he sings with so much genuine emotion that I want to go up there and wrap my arms around him and promise him I’ll never walk away no matter what. He’s so deep into the song that he barely notices there are people watching him. He’s amazing!_

During the three duets that followed, Blaine warmed up his voice and ran through the dance steps for “Teenage Dream” with Jeff and Nick. When it was his turn, he looked at Kurt all throughout his solo, and during “Teenage Dream” he caught his eye and flirted with him shamelessly, grinning from ear to ear.

Dancing and duetting with Tina was a blast, and the group songs that followed only improved his mood further, until he felt so bubbly that it seemed like there was champagne running through his veins. A blonde girl in a black dress with a high split requested “Crossfire”, and Blaine took it on himself to sing that song for her.

During “For the Longest Time”, they were suddenly blinded by the lights going on again, and everyone cheered and applauded. A karaoke machine was brought in, and other guests wanted their turn in the spotlight, so Blaine and Kurt and their friends wrapped up their impromptu concert and went back to their table, commandeering two extra chairs for Jeff and Nick.

It wasn’t until Blaine sat down that he felt how draining the performing had been. A bone-numbing tiredness weighed him down, and he let out a deep but content sigh.

“We should do this again sometime,” he murmured, taking Kurt’s hand. Kurt cuddled up to him and kissed him on the cheek.

Blaine nuzzled Kurt’s neck softly and gladly took a glass of champagne from the tray of a passing waiter. He nursed his drink for quite some time, not wanting it to go straight to his head. He was a lightweight, and he knew it.

Kurt took small sips, too. They didn’t speak, content to just have each other near and occasionally smile or kiss.

Kurt looked exhausted, too, but all of a sudden, he seemed to find new energy and jumped up, holding his hand out to Blaine in invitation. “Dance with me?”

_Well, how can I say no to that?_

Blaine got up and took Kurt’s hand, smiling so widely it hurt his cheeks. On the dance floor, Blaine went all out, showing off his moves and of course his gorgeous boyfriend, so thoroughly out-dancing everyone else present that the others stopped dancing and looked on admiringly, rewarding Blaine and Kurt with applause when the dance was done. Nick and Jeff whistled and hollered, making Kurt blush to the roots of his hair. That was so adorable that Blaine pulled him closer and moved in for a kiss.

Their lips were already brushing when he heard someone ask: “Blaine? Blaine, is that you?”

An innocent question, but it made his stomach drop and his blood freeze in his veins. That was his mother, he was sure of it. If she had been invited, then so had his father. Uh-oh. What had he seen? And how would he react?

Blaine turned around, and yes, both his parents stood there, his mother smiling obliviously, clearly pleased, and his father scowling darkly, obviously livid. Blaine repressed a shudder.

“It is Blaine!” said Pam Anderson with a wide smile. Edward Anderson sniffed at her enthusiasm.

“Taking a leaf out of your brother’s book, are you?” Edward inquired bitingly. “Not content until you’ve hogged all the attention and scandalised everyone thoroughly?”

_Man up, Anderson. Whatever you do, don’t let him insult Kurt. Show your father you have a backbone and you are not afraid of him and his censure._

Blaine straightened his back and made himself stand tall, looking his father square in the eyes. “Good evening, father, mother.”

His father didn’t deign that with a polite response, tearing into Blaine further. “I know that Cooper takes delight in acting out and vexing me, but I hadn’t expected this type of behaviour from you, Blaine, and I’m very disappointed. What on earth possessed you to publicly embarrass me in front of my most important business partners, flaunting your homosexual tendencies and parading a twink you brought here on a date?”

“Eddy, please, don’t make a scene,” whispered Pam. She laid her hand on her husband’s arm in an attempt to calm him down, but he shook it off.

A wild anger rose up in Blaine when he heard his father dismiss Kurt as a ‘twink’. He balled his hands into fists, took a deep breath to steady himself, and then said as calmly and evenly as he could: “I had no idea you were here, father. And I most certainly had no intention of embarrassing or shocking anyone. I was just enjoying my evening, and spending time with my boyfriend and our mutual friends.”

“Boyfriend?” asked Pam, her eyes lighting up.

“Yes, mother,” answered Blaine. He put his arm around Kurt’s waist and continued: “This is Kurt Hummel, my boyfriend.”

He looked at Kurt and said: “Kurt, these are my parents, Edward and Pam Anderson.”

Kurt’s chin went up. He nodded at Blaine’s parents in acknowledgement, his expression arctic. “How do you do?” he said politely, but he didn’t offer his hand to shake.

Pam beamed and came closer, taking one of Kurt’s hands in both of hers and squeezing it. “I’m delighted to meet you, Kurt.”

Then she turned to Blaine and stage-whispered: “Oh, he’s so handsome, Blaine.”

Blaine’s eyes found Kurt’s and they both had to bite down a smile.

“Spare us your raptures, please, Pam,” snapped Edward, his eyes flashing. “If you keep encouraging him, no wonder he behaves like that. Come, we’re leaving.”

He stalked away without waiting for his wife or looking back to see if she followed.

Pam gave Blaine a quick hug and shot an apologetic glance at Kurt. “I’m sorry my husband was so unpleasant to you. He’ll come around, I’m sure of it. And I’m truly happy for you both.”

The smile Kurt sent her way was still a bit frosty around the edges, though he seemed placated by her obvious acceptance.

Pam beamed in return, and waved at them both before she turned around and hurried after her husband.


	46. We Belong Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is very short and was difficult to write. It just wouldn't come out the way I envisioned it. So sorry. I'll try and do better with the next chapters.

“ _If I learned nothing else from my warped childhood, it’s the importance of security and assurance. I know what it’s like to think if you take one wrong step you’ll be sent packing._

 _And I know how the opposite feels. To know you are loved absolutely, and nothing you do, no matter how brainless, will change that._ ” (Julie Ortolon, _Almost Perfect_ )

When Blaine’s parents were gone, his shoulders slumped, and his breath came out with a woosh.

He turned to Kurt with trepidation, bracing himself for a glare and a lashing out, but Kurt still had his poker face on, and Blaine had no idea what was going on in his head.

Blaine swallowed with difficulty. “I’m so sorry, Kurt. My father … Well, he’s never really accepted the fact that I’m gay. And … It affects our relationship. When I came out to my parents, my father suddenly started to take more of an interest in me, and did all sorts of ‘manly’ activities with me. Took me to football games. Restored a car with me, one summer. Took me hiking, camping, fishing and even hunting. I thought that was his way to show me he was okay with my sexual orientation, but in hindsight, I can see that it must have been an attempt to turn me straight. And then I got beaten up at the Sadie Hawkins dance, and he was furious. Not with those guys who’d beaten me up - well, maybe with them, too - but with me. He told me I had been inordinately reckless. And then he paid a huge amount of money for me to be transferred to Dalton Academy mid-year, and from then on, he basically ignored me. When I’m at my parents for the holidays, he tolerates me as long as I don’t say or do anything that he perceives as gay.”

Kurt gave him a piercing look. “So you’re saying that, if you had known they were here, you would not have held hands with me or danced with me or done anything that might have acknowledged me as your boyfriend?”

Aghast, Blaine shook his head. “Kurt, love, I’m not ashamed of you, if that’s what you think. I’m so proud to call you my boyfriend. And I have long since stopped trying to win my father’s approval. That’s a lost battle if ever there was one. Yes, it hurts that he doesn’t accept who I am, but I’ve gotten over it. When I was younger, I strove to mould myself to be the perfect son he wanted, and I craved his love and approval to a pathetic degree. But he kept finding fault with me, and in the end I stopped trying so hard and decided that it was okay for me to just be myself, warts and all. So no, I would never deny or hide being your boyfriend just to get into his good books. I’m proud of you. I’m proud of us. We belong together. And if he can’t deal with that, too bad for him.”

His voice had grown louder, and towards the end of his speech, he noticed that people were staring at him and Kurt with their eyebrows raised, probably wondering what this was all about.

He shot an apologetic look at them, mumbled “Sorry”, and steered Kurt away from the crowd towards the entrance hall for a little more privacy to continue their conversation.

Kurt’s facial expression hadn’t changed. It was still a carefully constructed impassive façade, and it made Blaine anxious.

“Kurt … Say something, please! You’re scaring me right now,” Blaine pleaded.

That seemed to strike a chord with Kurt, whose face finally revealed his emotions and showed the sadness, the fear and the hurt that lay beneath the mask. Kurt took a shuddering breath and spoke at last.

“Back there … when your mother called your name … You just … froze, and I … I thought … you didn’t want your parents to know about me. For a heart-stopping moment, before I remembered you being beaten up after that dance, I actually thought you’d never come out to them. And this is so not how that should have happened. And then your father lashed out at you and you just … I can’t believe you managed to stay so calm and collected … As though you’ve heard such verbal abuse millions of times before. As if it barely stings anymore because you’ve gotten so used to it. And that makes me feel so angry and sad. Angry with your father for not realising what an exceptional son he has. Sad for you that you don’t have the support of your own father. I was so relieved that you introduced me as your boyfriend anyway. I was scared you’d write me off as just a friend, and that would have been unbearable. That would have hurt so much.”

“Oh baby, come here!” Blaine whispered thickly, his eyes burning with tears.

Blaine pulled Kurt into a vice-like hug, craving the closeness. He tucked his face into Kurt’s shoulder and took a deep breath, luxuriating in the comfort of Kurt’s smell, the crisp feel of his shirt and the silky-smooth caress of his jacket. Slowly, he felt his tension dissipate, and after a while, he stepped back with a sheepish smile.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to suffocate you. I just needed you near.”

Kurt let out a sound between a laugh and a sob, and pressed up against him once more, putting his arms around Blaine’s neck.

Blaine sighed contentedly and nuzzled Kurt’s neck. When he reached the hollow of Kurt’s throat, Kurt giggled. “That tickles!”

Blaine looked up, smiling, and captured Kurt’s lips in a tender kiss. He felt Kurt play with the curls at the nape of his neck with one hand, and rub circles on his back with the other. He deepened the kiss and pulled Kurt even closer against him.

The mood was broken, however, when Kurt pulled away and yawned jaw-poppingly. He clapped his hand over his mouth in horror. “Sorry, honey, I don’t mean to be rude. I’m just sooo tired …”

He yawned again and rubbed a hand over his eyes.

Blaine chuckled. “No offense taken. Let’s go say goodbye to everyone and go home.”

“Okay,” agreed Kurt, stifling another yawn.

They went back to the ballroom and sought out Naomi and Greg first, who thanked them for the songs they’d sung to entertain their guests. Naomi whispered to Kurt that she’d had plenty of compliments on her dress and that she hadn’t hesitated to sing his praises.

Then they found Nick and Jeff, dancing and making out in a dark corner of the ballroom, and hugged them goodbye. Jeff had noticed the altercation between Blaine and his father, and asked in a concerned voice if he was alright. Blaine reassured him that he was fine, just tired.

Lastly, they took their leave of Rachel and the other New Directioners, having to endure many meaningful glances, nudges and winks before they managed to escape.

Once they were back in Blaine’s apartment, they only had enough energy left to undress, put their pyjamas on, brush their teeth and get into bed.

Blaine slung an arm around Kurt’s waist, pulling him as close as he could and spooning him. He nodded off to dreamland while pressing lazy open-mouthed kisses to Kurt’s neck, which made Kurt shiver slightly.

_I don’t care what my father says. You are the best thing that ever happened to me._


	47. Meeting the Parents

“ _Marthona heard Ayla's words, wondered at her strange speech mannerism, noted how well she spoke in spite of it, and thought it was either a minor speech defect or the accent of a completely unfamiliar language from a very distant place. She smiled. "You have come a long way, Ayla, left all you knew and loved behind. If you had not, I don't think I would have Jondalar back home. I am grateful to you for that. I hope you will soon feel at home here, and I will do all I can to help you."_

 _Ayla knew Jondalar's mother was sincere. Her directness and honesty were genuine; she was glad to have her son back. Ayla was relieved and touched by Marthona's welcome._ ” (Jean M. Auel, _The Shelters of Stone_ )

When Kurt saw Blaine freeze up, he was both bewildered and concerned. What was happening? When Blaine acknowledged the couple as his parents in the flattest tones Kurt had ever heard him use, Kurt’s apprehension and consternation peeked. What if - his heart stopped for a moment - Blaine had never come out to his parents? And then he berated himself for being stupid. Blaine had been gay-bashed in high school. If he hadn’t been out before, his parents certainly knew then. But there was definitely something wrong. Very wrong. Blaine’s father seemed beyond furious.

And Blaine … He wasn’t caving in. He wasn’t crumbling under his father’s glare. But as Kurt saw him square his shoulders and meet his father’s eyes with an even gaze and a composed expression, he could plainly detect Blaine’s uneasiness.

Blaine’s father continued his tirade, chewing his son out for openly showing that he was gay. Apparently, Blaine’s father thought that his son’s behaviour would reflect negatively on his business. He dismissed Kurt as a twink. That made Blaine clench and unclench his fists, and Kurt could see a muscle twitch in Blaine’s jaw. Otherwise, he showed no outward signs that his father had said anything out of the ordinary.

Blaine’s mother tried to calm her husband down, but he brushed her off impatiently.

Blaine took a deep breath and calmly denied wanting to vex or shock his parents, since he hadn’t known they were there. He then proceeded to tell them that he was at the wedding with his boyfriend and just wanted to have a good time.

_He’s mentioned me as his boyfriend!_

Kurt let out a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding, and felt relieved. A part of him had feared that Blaine would introduce him as ‘a friend’, and he couldn’t even begin to fathom how much that would have hurt.

Blaine’s mother looked simply delighted when Blaine mentioned having a boyfriend, and pounced on it.

Blaine, still in ultra-correct and dapper mode, slung his arm around Kurt’s waist and introduced Kurt to his parents, and his parents to Kurt. Edward and Pam Anderson. The names suited them. Edward sounded as uptight as the man was, and Pam sounded jolly and no-nonsense.

_I really don’t want to say “Pleased to meet you” to Blaine’s dad. Sorry, but I’m anything but pleased to meet him. I guess it’s time to dust off an old-fashioned and very formal phrase instead …_

Kurt nodded at Blaine’s parents politely and intoned: “How do you do?”

Pam smiled widely, her face and expression so like Blaine’s that it took Kurt’s breath away. She walked up to Kurt and sandwiched a hand of his between hers, lightly squeezing it. She pronounced herself delighted to meet Kurt, and she seemed sincere.

Then she loudly whispered to Blaine that he’d picked a handsome boyfriend.

Blaine’s mouth twitched and his eyes, glimmering with amusement, met Kurt’s for a fraction of a second.

But Mr Sourpuss couldn’t resist spoiling the moment again, berating Pam and telling her he wanted to leave.

He stormed off in high dudgeon, not even waiting for Pam to catch up.

Pam didn’t seem to mind, or seemed at least very used to that kind of behaviour. She didn’t hurry after Edward, choosing instead to hug Blaine before she left and to apologise to Kurt for her husband’s behaviour, assuring him that she was happy for them both.

Kurt appreciated her efforts to make amends and smiled at her.

_Well, at least Blaine’s mother is okay with us. His father, though, ugh … Unpleasant self-centred bigot. I feel sorry for Blaine that he had to grow up enduring that kind of verbal abuse at home._

As soon as Blaine’s parents had disappeared, Blaine’s emotions caught up with him. He huffed out a heavy breath and slackened his stance. Then he turned to Kurt, his eyes wide and frantic, as if he was afraid Kurt was either going to yell at him in anger or leave him in disgust at being treated this way by his father.

Blaine swallowed convulsively and apologised, explaining that the relationship with his father had been strained ever since he’d told his parents he was gay. Basically, his father wanted him to behave as a straight guy. Anything else was deemed unacceptable.

_And do you follow your father’s orders? Would you hide who you are to keep the peace with your father? If you hadn’t been ‘caught’ with me, would you have denied being my boyfriend?_

The very thought sliced through him like a knife, and Kurt had to know, he just had to. So he asked, his question perhaps a bit more accusatory than Blaine deserved. After all, Blaine had introduced him as his boyfriend, without even thinking twice about it and with pride in his voice.

And Blaine’s answer did not disappoint. Clearly, he was made of stronger stuff than Kurt gave him credit for, and he cared for Kurt deeply. “We belong together”, Blaine said, with conviction, and it made Kurt’s heart soar.

After his impassioned speech, Blaine seemed to realise they had drawn a crowd, and took Kurt’s hand to take their discussion somewhere more private.

Kurt was overwhelmed, his head swimming with all that he felt, and it wasn’t until Blaine begged him to please just say something that he attempted to make sense of the jumble in his head and put it into words. He was so choked up that he barely managed to formulate complete sentences, but he hoped Blaine would understand him anyway, as he voiced his insecurity and anger and sadness.

When Kurt was done speaking, his throat burned and his eyes pricked with tears. Blaine gathered him in his arms in a tight bear hug, nestling his head on Kurt’s shoulder and inhaling deeply, his body gradually relaxing against Kurt’s.

Blaine released Kurt after a while, apologising for hugging him too tightly, but Kurt wasn’t ready to let him go just yet and gathered him back in.

They hugged and cuddled and kissed for a bit, and it felt lovely and was just what they needed right then, but Kurt was exhausted, and he couldn’t help letting out a big yawn.

Blaine chuckled and suggested they go back to his apartment. That seemed like a really good idea.

In the ballroom, they thanked the newlyweds for the invitation. Naomi and Greg waved that off and said they had much more to thank Kurt and Blaine for. They praised their singing, and Naomi gleefully told Kurt that everyone had rhapsodised about her dress and asked who the designer was.

“I know you’re a men’s wear designer, but you might want to consider branching out, Kurt. My cousin Adrienne is getting married in six months and she’s determined to have her wedding dress designed by you. That’s her, over there.”

Naomi pointed to a tall dark-haired beauty in a lilac bridesmaid’s dress.

“You might want to leave quickly, before she spots you, or she’ll be talking your ears off for hours. She’s a lovely person, but when she’s discussing a topic she’s passionate about, she can get quite chatty. She especially loved the colour of my dress. She’s pale too, and she doesn’t want to get married in a white dress.”

Kurt just nodded, not in the mood for discussing dresses. He hugged her and wished her a lovely honeymoon.

Next, they said goodbye to Nick and Jeff.

“Where were you, anyway, when Ian climbed that chandelier?” Kurt asked Nick.

“We were feeling bored,” shrugged Nick. “So we found something to entertain us. Naomi and Greg should thank their lucky stars they’re leaving for their honeymoon directly after this, because they’re in for a few surprises when they get back to their house.”

“Oh dear …” Kurt made a face. “Nothing too bad, I hope …”

“Well … Seeing as it will be nearly Christmas when they return, we channelled our Christmas spirit and bought dozens of jingle bells. We put them everywhere: in the fridge, under their box springs, in the sofa cushions, on their clothes hangers and on the cords on the blinds, etc. They’ll be sick of the sound by the time they’ve found them all!”

They both laughed.

“That’s actually quite funny,” conceded Kurt.

“Oh, and we might also have hidden a treasure chest somewhere in their home and left them dozens of treasure hunt sticky notes with riddles they have to solve to find the next note,” said Nick proudly.

“Inventive!” said Kurt, impressed. “So what’s in the treasure chest?”

“All sorts of things to improve their love life,” Nick grinned.

They hugged and then sought out the New Directioners, who seemed to think they were leaving ‘early’ to go have rampant sex. Kurt rolled his eyes at them. He was so exhausted that he wanted to crawl into bed and sleep for a week.

Puck was uncharacteristically silent, though, making no rude comments and seeming lost in thought. When Kurt hugged him goodbye, Puck pulled him away from the others.

“I need to tell you something,” Puck said gruffly. “I’ve seen Blaine before. He helped us set up the book fair last week. And we talked.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow and then hummed non-committally, urging Puck to continue talking.

“He’s a big Mark Easterbrook fan. I mean … a massive fan. He was ranting about how he’d do anything to get a signed copy of an Easterbrook novel. So … I was wondering … since you’re an item now and all … Have you told him? That you’re actually Mark Easterbrook?”

Kurt sighed.

“I know he’s a fan. That’s practically one of the first things he told me when we met. Which is why, no, I haven’t told him. Not yet. I want him to like me for me, not because I’m a celebrity crush of his. It would just … make things awkward. I will tell him later. And thank you for telling me he’d like a signed copy. That’s an excellent gift idea.”

Puck looked at Kurt with doubt in his eyes. “I guess you know best. I would have told him straight from the start, though.”

Kurt swallowed. “I will tell him. I promise. Bye Noah.”

Blaine seemed just as tired as Kurt felt. They went back to Blaine’s apartment and sluggishly got ready for bed. In bed, Kurt snuggled into Blaine’s arms. Blaine peppered his neck with kisses. His hot breath made Kurt’s skin erupt into goose bumps, and Kurt couldn’t repress a shiver. Soon, though, Blaine’s breathing evened out, and Kurt followed him into dreamland soon after.


	48. Lazy Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay ... So ... This chapter contains smut. Nothing too hardcore, and I hope it's believable and tasteful. If not, do not hesitate to tell me how I can improve it. Please let me know what you think. Writing smut terrifies me. It's a fine line between tasteful and tacky and between sexy and just plain ridiculous. So please either reassure me that it was okay, or tell me how I can write it better. If smut is not your thing, feel free to skip this chapter (and the next). You won't miss anything, there's no plot in these chapters. Just start reading at Chapter 50 again. Also, I don't really know what the difference is between a "mature" rating and an "explicit" rating here on AO3. Should I change this story from "mature" to "explicit" now, or can it stay like this?

“ _This time when his mouth captured hers there was nothing light or tentative about it. He kissed Phoebe with all the heat and promises of eleven long and lonely years. When she wrapped her arms about his neck, deepened the kiss, and melted against him, he knew it was going to be all right._ ” (Marcia Evanick, _Blueberry Hill_ )

Kurt was woken up rather abruptly in the morning by Blaine. Blaine wasn’t giving him sweet kisses and caresses this time. No. He had pulled Kurt flush against his chest and was … humping him. Rhythmically rutting his hips against Kurt’s and moaning.

That was … unexpected.

A particularly loud moan made Kurt’s face heat up.

Kurt wriggled in Blaine’s grasp until he was facing Blaine, and he saw that his eyes were closed and his expression was serene. Clearly, he was still asleep.

_Oh … He’s having one of those dreams …_

Just then, Blaine ground his hips into Kurt again, and now Kurt moaned, too, and instinctively thrust upwards.

_Aaah … That feels so good. I had better try to wake Blaine up, though, or this might get awkward._

Gently, he cradled Blaine’s face in his hands and kissed him, softly at first, and when he saw Blaine’s eyes flutter open, Kurt made the kiss a bit more intense.

When they pulled apart to catch their breath, Blaine smiled at Kurt lazily.

“Good morning.”

Kurt smiled back and parroted: “Good morning.”

“Why did you wake me up?” asked Blaine.

“Because you woke me up,” answered Kurt, grinning.

“Was I snoring?” inquired Blaine, a horrified look on his face.

“No, you weren’t,” Kurt reassured him.

“Then what happened?”

“You were … dreaming. Can you remember what you were dreaming about?” prompted Kurt.

Blaine looked at him quizzically, but obediently tried to remember. And then his cheeks reddened, as his dream came back to him. “Oh no … What did I do?”

Kurt smirked. “You were dry-humping me. And moaning.”

“Oh dear … I’m so sorry, Kurt,” Blaine apologised.

“I’m not,” said Kurt simply. “It felt good.”

Blaine gaped at him, bewildered. “So then … why did you wake me?”

“Because I’d rather have sex with you while we’re both awake and aware of what’s happening,” Kurt explained.

Blaine blushed even harder at that, but smiled. “So you’re saying …”

“That I wouldn’t mind continuing where we left off, yes,” confirmed Kurt. “Though I really need to use the bathroom first.”

“Me too,” agreed Blaine.

A few minutes later, they crawled back into bed, and Blaine pulled Kurt on top of him, kissing him breathless. His fingers sneaked under Kurt’s pyjama top and drew patterns on Kurt’s lower back, sending a shiver down his spine and making him giggle when Blaine touched his tickly spots.

Kurt pulled away from Blaine’s lips, holding himself up on his elbows, and shamelessly stared at Blaine, memorising how silky and long his eyelashes were, how his eyes had these tiny golden sparks in them that caught the sunlight, how his curls were madly out of control yet looked so irresistibly silky and soft that Kurt’s fingers itched to run through them.

Blaine stared back, his lips curving into a smile that grew steadily bigger.

_He’s so gorgeous. I’m so glad I woke up first today and he was still in bed._

“I like waking up next to you,” whispered Kurt. He lowered his head onto Blaine’s chest, one hand next to his head and the other reaching for the curls at the nape of Blaine’s neck. He played with them absent-mindedly.

He heard Blaine’s answer, “So do I”, rumble through his chest. Blaine stopped tickling Kurt’s back with feather-light touches of his fingertips and used his entire palms instead to rub circles on the skin. His hands were warm, and except for his calloused fingers, they were very soft. It felt amazing. Kurt’s eyes closed and he hummed in appreciation. Slowly, Blaine’s hands crept higher, and though the pyjama top was pretty loose, it was very much in the way and uncomfortable.

_This won’t do. Better take it off. Yes, that’s rather scary, but I’ve seen him with his shirt off, too, when I gave him that back rub, so now it’s his turn to see me, I guess. Okay, man up, Hummel, do it!_

Kurt sat up. Blaine immediately took his hands away, looking at Kurt apprehensively, his eyes questioning.

“No, no … I liked it,” Kurt reassured. “Let me just …”

He took his top off.

“There. That will be better.”

He folded up his top and put it on the nightstand for the time being.

Then he turned back towards Blaine, resisting the urge to hide his chest behind his arms self-consciously.

Blaine had clearly not expected him to strip off his top. He was sitting up too now, and he was gaping at Kurt with an awestruck expression. His eyes were shining as if Christmas had come early and his pupils were wide and dark.

“You’re so beautiful,” Blaine breathed reverently, sincerity resonating in every syllable.

Kurt smiled at Blaine a bit tremulously, and cupped Blaine’s face with one hand to pull him in for a kiss.

It was so easy to forget about everything and to just get lost in the heavenly feel of Blaine’s lips against his, so it might have been quite a while later that Blaine drew back, breathing just as heavily as Kurt.

“Can I … Can I please touch you?” Blaine asked, his fingertips hesitating just shy of touching Kurt’s chest.

Kurt nodded, not trusting his voice, and lay down on his back to grant Blaine easy access.

Blaine sat on his haunches next to Kurt, but didn’t touch him straightaway. It seemed as though his eyes were so riveted upon Kurt that he couldn’t focus on any other senses for the moment. He still looked worshipful, dazed and dazzled, but there was more now. A hunger flamed in his eyes, and Kurt’s heart started to beat faster in response.

Blaine made to straddle Kurt, then shot him an uncertain look. Kurt smiled encouragingly.

“Go ahead,” he nodded.

Blaine hesitated another while. Then, in a fluid movement, he stripped of his pyjama top, too, letting it fall somewhere on the bed.

_Oh, yes … Look at you in the morning sun … Gorgeous!_

Now Blaine moved with a purpose, and before Kurt could do anything but let out a surprised gasp, Blaine was straddling him and lightly trailing his fingertips from Kurt’s clavicles to the waistband of his pyjama pants. And really, how could such a simple touch ignite a spark in him that had him right on the edge already?

Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine’s middle and moaned brokenly, throwing his head back. Clearly, Blaine saw that as an invitation, and he swooped in to kiss Kurt’s neck.

_Aah, that feels so amazing!_

Blaine didn’t stop there, though, kissing his way to one of Kurt’s nipples and tentatively licking it.

_Oh wow! Aaah … Do that again, please …_

Kurt had no idea whether he’d kept that thought to himself or said it out loud, but Blaine seemed to have gotten the memo and now wrapped his soft lips around Kurt’s nipple and suckled it softly. Though nobody had ever done this to Kurt before, his body evidently knew just how to react to it. Kurt’s hips bucked up of their own volition, eliciting twin moans from both Kurt and Blaine.

Blaine sat up again and looked at Kurt irresolutely.

“Was … Was that okay? Or too much too soon?”

Kurt, missing Blaine’s warm electrifying touches, pulled Blaine flush against him and mumbled in his ear: “More than okay … Don’t stop, please don’t stop, don’t ever stop.”

Kurt felt rather than saw Blaine smile, and then Blaine’s mouth was on Kurt’s earlobe, and again Kurt thrust up his hips without even thinking about it. A high-pitched keening tore from his throat, and he couldn’t even find it in himself to feel embarrassed about that. This was just purest ecstasy.

Blaine seemed to agree, slowly rocking his hips into Kurt’s as he kissed Kurt behind his ear - and ooh, that was a sensitive spot. Blaine laved it and sucked on it. At the same time, he wriggled his hand between their chests to find Kurt’s nipple again. He took it between two fingers and teased it gently. Kurt, overwhelmed by a multitude of sensations, whimpered and moaned. The next thrust of Blaine’s hips tipped Kurt over the edge. His back arched up, his mouth opened in a wordless cry and his vision went black for a second as he experienced the most intense orgasm he’d ever had.

Blaine kept up the rhythmic movement of his hips for a few moments longer, until he cried out as well, a strangled version of Kurt’s name, and flopped down next to Kurt with a beatific smile on his face.

They turned onto their sides, facing one another, gazing deep into the other’s eyes and grinning like loons. Blaine moved in a bit closer and nudged his nose against Kurt’s. Kurt giggled and then pecked Blaine’s nose.

Blaine stroked Kurt’s cheek and lightly ran his thumb over Kurt’s lips. Kurt parted his lips and licked them, already closing the distance between his mouth and Blaine’s.

_Kissing Blaine is so addictive._


	49. Held on to What I'd Been Dreaming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter comes with a smut warning, too. It's basically the same happenings as in the previous chapter, but from Blaine's point of view. If you don't like smut, you can skip this chapter without missing anything, I promise you.

“ _I replayed that smile in my head, seeing her full lips pull up at the corners, the hint of a dimple that touched her pointed chin, the way her eyes warmed and melted... Her fingers had felt so warm and soft on my hand tonight. I imagined how it would feel to touch the delicate skin that stretched over her cheekbones — silky, warm...so fragile._ ” (Stephenie Meyer, _Midnight Sun_ )

Like clockwork, Blaine’s body woke him at 6.30 AM. Blaine blearily checked the time on his alarm clock and told his body a firm “No!” They hadn’t come home until after 2 AM, no way was he getting up already. So he gathered Kurt a bit closer to him, drifted off to sleep again and fell head first into a wonderful dream.

In the dream, Kurt and Blaine were married. Whether they lived in Kurt’s house or in Blaine’s apartment or somewhere else altogether was rather hazy, but live together they did. They went grocery-shopping, squabbling about the merits of vegetarian bacon and the far superior taste of the real thing. They had a cat and a golden retriever, and though Kurt hated finding hair and scratch marks on the sofa, he loved both pets with a passion, as did Blaine.

And of course, Kurt and Blaine were still just as crazy about each other as in the very beginning of their relationship, and never managed to keep their hands and lips from one another for long. Small wonder then that the dream became rather steamy when both men jumped into the shower together.

Blaine had Kurt plastered against the shower wall and was bringing them both to ecstasy when all of a sudden, Kurt turned his head and kissed him sweetly. Somehow, that kiss seemed completely out of place at that moment, yet at the same time more real and more right than what had been happening before.

And then everything shifted, and Blaine realised he wasn’t in the shower, but in bed. His eyes flew open and found Kurt’s just above him. The kiss grew hotter and more insistent, until they both had to let go to take in a deep breath.

They exchanged smiles and good mornings.

“Why did you wake me up?” asked Blaine curiously.

_It’s Sunday, surely we can sleep in as long as we want to? It’s only 9.30 AM!_

“Because you woke me up,” grinned Kurt.

_Uh-oh … Well, on the plus side, he’s grinning, so he’s not angry at me for waking him up. Still, he’s grinning, so I bet I embarrassed myself …_

So Blaine, his eyes wide and panicky, asked Kurt if he’d been snoring. Apparently, he hadn’t. Now Blaine was confused, and his apprehension rose, so he asked what had happened.

Kurt’s eyes danced with mirth and his smile was cheeky when he answered that Blaine had been dreaming. He urged Blaine to try and remember his dream, so Blaine sank back into his subconscious for a moment and immediately got back to the shower scene. His face got red as a tomato.

_Oh no … Oh no, no, no, no, no! I should have gotten up at 6.30 anyway. I might have known I’d have a dream of that kind, pressed up against Kurt as I was. I hope Kurt doesn’t think I was taking advantage of him. I hope it didn’t trigger bad memories for him. I’d hate for him to think of me as another Sebastian, only out for one thing. Well, he isn’t freaking out, so maybe I didn’t do anything too bad._

He asked Kurt what had happened, and blanched at Kurt’s blunt answer. He hurried to apologise, but Kurt waved that away, stating that he had liked it.

_Uh … O-kay … That’s … good, I guess._

Blaine’s head was spinning, trying to make sense of it all.

_So why had Kurt stopped him then, if it felt good?_

He asked Kurt. Again, Kurt’s answer was blunt, yet this time, it made Blaine happy.

_He wants me? He wants me like that? He’s ready to go further than kissing?_

As the implications of what Kurt had said hit him, Blaine’s blood rushed in two directions and he went a bit light-headed.

Still, he had to make sure they were on the same page. “So you’re saying …”

“That I wouldn’t mind continuing where we left off, yes,” confirmed Kurt.

_Oh wow. That’s … Wow!_

Blaine’s smile could probably have outshone the sun right then.

“Though I really need to use the bathroom first.”

Blaine stifled a snigger - w _ay to kill the mood, Kurt_ \- but agreed.

They relieved themselves and brushed their teeth, then dived back into bed. Blaine pulled Kurt on top of him and kissed him fervently. He ran his hands up and down Kurt’s sides, making Kurt’s top ride up, exposing a tantalising sliver of the skin underneath. It looked like the smoothest alabaster. Kurt had a complexion that put Snow White to shame.

_I want to feel his skin against mine. I want to run my hands all over him and kiss him all over. He’s so gorgeous. He’s so delectable. I still can’t believe he’s mine._

Blaine’s hands glided under Kurt’s pyjama top and Blaine let his fingers get acquainted with Kurt’s silky soft skin, drawing circles and hearts and butterflies on Kurt’s back and noting where Kurt was ticklish.

They lay like that, kissing and revelling in each other’s closeness, for an immeasurable moment. Then Kurt pulled himself up, supporting himself on his elbows, and stared at Blaine as though he were an abstract work of art he was trying to figure out.

Blaine stared back, unabashed. The sunlight streaming in made Kurt’s skin glow, tinged his hair with caramel and honey undertones and made his eyes glint like silver. The sight took his breath away.

_I could stare at you for days on end and never get tired of it. Now I understand how sirens can make sailors wreck their ships because they just can’t tear their eyes off those mesmerising creatures. Your beauty is so alluring._

“I like waking up next to you,” Kurt admitted shyly, ducking his head and lowering it onto Blaine’s chest. Blaine felt Kurt tug at his curls, and sighed in satisfaction.

_I love it when he touches my hair. It feels wonderful. And I like waking up next to him too._

He said as much, and splayed his hands over Kurt’s back, moving them over the cool expanse of his skin in relaxing circles. Kurt closed his eyes and hummed under his breath, evidently enjoying Blaine’s caresses.

Up, up, up went Blaine’s hands, until they were massaging Kurt’s shoulders. Kurt’s top bunched up and restricted Blaine’s movements, but he did the best he could do under the circumstances, until Kurt abruptly sat up.

_Uh-oh … What did I do wrong?_

Blaine took his hand off Kurt’s back and shot a panicky look at Kurt.

_Whatever it was that I did wrong, please tell me, so that I won’t make that mistake again._

Kurt saw that Blaine was uneasy and hurried to reassure him that everything was okay. He smiled at Blaine and then pulled his top off in a swift motion.

Blaine, suddenly confronted with the most exquisite sight he’d even seen in his life, had a hard time keeping from hyperventilating or swallowing his tongue.

_Seriously, he shouldn’t just spring this on me without a warning. Look at him … If he’d lived in 16th century Florence, Michelangelo would have modelled his David after him, no question about that …_

“You’re so beautiful,” Blaine choked out, overwhelmed.

The smile that bloomed on Kurt’s face then was heart-stirring.

Kurt grabbed Blaine by the chin to kiss him some more, and Blaine eagerly complied. Their kisses started out soft as a whisper, and then gradually gained intensity, their lips parting and tongues venturing in, until they were boldly mapping out each other’s mouths.

Kurt tangled his hands in Blaine’s curls and Blaine put his arms around Kurt’s waist, pulling him in closer. And oh, feeling that heat from Kurt’s chest seeping through his thin pyjama top was so distracting … It made him crave skin-to-skin contact. As glorious as it felt to kiss Kurt unhurriedly and uninhibitedly, Blaine wanted more.

The need built and built until Blaine couldn’t stand it anymore and drew back, panting and trembling with want.

“Can I … Can I please touch you?” Blaine asked timidly, fearful of overstepping.

Kurt nodded, his eyes wide and trusting, and lay down on his back.

Blaine moved to crouch right next to Kurt, but as much as his fingers itched to touch, he held back and just looked. He looked at the sunlight reflecting off Kurt’s flawless marble skin, at his dips and curves and hard planes, at his rosy nipples and his belly button.

_Gorgeous … Want to touch, want to kiss, want to lick … Aaargh … I think I just died and went to heaven. Okay, I’ve looked my fill; I can’t possibly wait a moment longer._

Blaine made to straddle Kurt, then checked himself and looked at Kurt for permission, who gave him the green light to move ahead.

_If I want to feel his skin against mine, now would be a good time to get rid of my top, too._

Blaine took off his top and threw it on the bed carelessly. He turned to Kurt, whose eyes had dilated in appreciation and whose breath was coming a bit more quickly.

_Glad I’m not the only one who’s affected …_

Blaine took advantage of Kurt’s distraction to settle on top of him and finally allowed his fingers to get acquainted with Kurt’s chest, lightly tracing his shoulders, the hollow of his throat, his nipples, his ribs, his belly button and his hip bones.

Kurt reacted beautifully, throwing his head back and moaning.

_One day, I want to touch every inch of your body. I want to know it better than my own. I want to play it like an instrument. I don’t doubt you could make sweet music for me._

For now, Blaine dove down to kiss Kurt’s proffered neck, milky white and baby-soft and delicious. Kurt gasped and whimpered and arched his neck even further, his breath ragged.

Blaine moved further down to Kurt’s left nipple and gave it a kitten lick. A breathy strangled moan was the result, and Kurt’s hands dug into Blaine’s back, pulling him closer.

That was encouragement enough for Blaine to take the nipple gently in his mouth and give it an experimental suck.

And oh, that made Kurt thrust up his hips into Blaine’s and spark a reaction that was nothing short of electric, and now Kurt was no longer the only one moaning.

_Aaah, that felt incredible! Only … Is Kurt okay with that or am I crossing boundaries here?_

Blaine sat up again and sought Kurt’s reassurance and approval.

Kurt, far from shying away, pulled him back down impatiently and implored him to go on and never stop.

Blaine needed no more urging and moved to take Kurt’s earlobe between his teeth. That was plainly another of Kurt’s sensitive spots, and again, Kurt’s hips slammed into Blaine’s, and Kurt keened loudly.

Blaine didn’t want to lose the delightful friction Kurt had caused and took to slowly rutting against Kurt, now kissing behind his ear and enjoying the startled mewling sound that elicited so much that he stayed on the same spot a bit longer and sucked a hickey there. His hand sneaked back to Kurt’s nipple and rolled it between his forefinger and his thumb.

Kurt was in the throes of ecstasy, his head going this way and that, his eyes closed, his hands clenching and unclenching and his mouth wide open. He was also the most vocal Blaine had ever heard him, keening, whimpering and moaning loudly. It only took one more movement of Blaine’s hips for Kurt to arch his back and let go, and that very sight was enough for Blaine to come too, seconds later, his boyfriend’s name on his lips.

He rolled off of Kurt to collapse next to him. Exhaustion washed over him, but he was smiling from ear to ear as he gradually came down from his high. And what a high it had been! His heart was still hammering like a steam engine, he was panting as if he’d run a marathon and he felt utterly blissed out and boneless.

_I’ve never taken any drugs, but I don’t think anything can beat this feeling!_

Blaine turned onto his side, as did Kurt. They didn’t speak - Blaine wasn’t sure he’d be able to, just yet. They looked into each other’s eyes and smiled, elated. Blaine had never felt so connected to a person in his life. He shuffled a bit closer and gave Kurt a bunny kiss. That made Kurt giggle, a silver bell-like sound that rang through Blaine and made his stomach swoop. Kurt dropped a tiny kiss on Blaine’s nose.

Blaine drew a feather-light curve along the oval of Kurt’s face and teased Kurt’s lips with his thumb. That made Kurt part his lips and lick them, leaning in for a kiss. Blaine met him half-way and closed his eyes in anticipation.

_I don’t think life gets any better than this._


	50. Time for Breakfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fifty chapters already, I can't believe it ... Warning: this chapter might make you hungry :-)

“ _She laughed. “You go take your shower. Leave the kitchen to me.”_

_“Bless you.” He tossed her a quick grin that stirred memories of how that mouth had felt and tasted. Their gazes held and his smile slowly faded as the moment stretched on._

_Awareness shimmered between them like heat waves._ ” (Julie Ortolon, _Falling For You_ )

They kissed until a loud stomach growl broke the silence. Evidently, Kurt had worked up quite an appetite.

Kurt hid his beet-red face behind his hands and mumbled “Sorry”, but Blaine was having none of that. He prised Kurt’s hands away, dropped a quick kiss on Kurt’s lips and tugged him off the bed, towards the kitchen. “Time for some breakfast!”

Blaine looked at Kurt and said: “I know you promised me cinnamon buns for breakfast, but can we take a rain check on that? I’m as hungry as you are and would rather not wait another hour to eat. Also, I really want to take a shower. You too, I guess.”

Kurt nodded, grimacing slightly.

Blaine continued: “So it’s either scrambled eggs on toast, soft-boiled eggs with soldiers or my patented breakfast of champions: oatmeal with peanut butter, brown sugar and bananas. Your choice.”

“I don’t really like oatmeal, except in cookies,” mused Kurt. “And I haven’t had eggs and soldiers in a really long time, so I’d like that, please.”

Blaine tutted. “I’ll have you know that oatmeal is very healthy, and fills your stomach for a long time. You’re not going to go hungry again by 10.30 AM when you’ve had oatmeal for breakfast.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow. “Okay then, we’ll try the oatmeal next time …”

“If you’re fast, you can shower while I prepare breakfast,” Blaine offered. He took the eggs out of the fridge and reached for the bread and the toaster.

“Oh no, no, no …” protested Kurt. “You’re not making me breakfast again. It’s my turn. You hop into the shower, go on! I bet you don’t take half as long as I do in the bathroom anyway.”

Blaine shrugged and grinned. “Okay then. The kitchen’s all yours.”

He jogged to his bedroom to fetch some clothes, then took a quick shower, dressed and decided to style his hair later. His stomach housed an insistently growling monster, demanding to be fed, and that delicious smell coming from the kitchen was not helping matters. Was Kurt baking?

Yes, he was, as it turned out. When questioned, Kurt said that Blaine’s oatmeal breakfast suggestion had made him think of a recipe for oatmeal banana cookies, which were currently baking in the oven. The table was set for two, with even paper napkins - where on earth did Kurt find those? - folded into a flower.

Blaine sat down. The soft-boiled eggs were already on the table. There was freshly pressed orange juice as well, and two bowls of yoghurt with pieces of fruit in them. Apple? Pear? Both?

Kurt was buttering the toast and then slicing it into soldiers. “There you go, sweetie!”

Blaine gave Kurt a happy smile and thanked him. Then they both dug in.

Blaine was halfway through eating his yoghurt when the oven timer dinged. Kurt took the cookie tray out and placed it on the counter to cool. A heavenly smell wafted over to where Blaine was sitting, and he moaned.

“How long do we have to wait before we can taste them?” he asked, looking at Kurt beseechingly.

Kurt laughed. “Those cookies are dessert. Finish your yoghurt first. And don’t you want some more toast? With jam or honey?”

“I’d rather have a cookie,” pouted Blaine.

“Okay, if you want to risk burning your tongue, go right ahead and try a cookie,” conceded Kurt.

“By the way, that pout and those puppy-dog eyes should be illegal,” he added as an afterthought.

Blaine grinned smugly, and hopped over to the counter to grab a cookie.

After breakfast, Kurt showered and dressed as well, and then Blaine roped Kurt into helping him with the preparations for the Thanksgiving school musical.

The musical required props and papier mâché masks and backdrops, and while the children would most certainly do their part of the work in class, they would never be able to finish everything on time, and some masks were too advanced for them to make. So every year, Blaine would chip in and paint and craft all November long in order to get everything ready on time.

Sometimes, Nick and Jeff would help out, but while Blaine appreciated their willingness to help, they never accomplished much. They were so playful that painting backdrops quickly escalated into messy paint fights. They were so easily led astray by one another that Founding Father masks became the creepiest zombies they could think up, and they were so clumsy that they broke more props than they managed to make.

Kurt, however, was a godsend. He really had a knack for producing masks that looked lifelike and actually resembled the historical figures they were modelled after. His props, too, resembled the real thing, and while painting backdrops, he was meticulous and proficient.

When they took a coffee break at 4.30 PM, Blaine was ecstatic at the amount of work they’d been able to accomplish and the undeniable quality of it.

Kurt ran off to go fetch his phone and take some pictures of the masks he’d made.

Blaine sipped his coffee and helped himself to an oatmeal banana cookie left over from breakfast. And another. And a third.

_Mmm, these are good …_

He inspected his fridge and freezer to come up with menu ideas for dinner. He decided on an oven dish with two kinds of fish, leeks and carrots, topped off with a cheesy sauce and served with mashed potatoes.

When Kurt came back with his phone, after a longer interval than should have been strictly necessary, he was distracted.

“What’s wrong?” asked Blaine.

Kurt looked at him, surprised. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m just … mulling something over in my mind.”

Blaine cocked his head to the side. “Care to elaborate?”

“I switched my phone on, and I had all these messages from people who were at the wedding,” explained Kurt. “And they all want me to design their wedding dress. Can you believe it?”

Blaine most certainly could believe it, and said so. “Naomi’s dress was outstanding. Anyone with even a modicum of taste could see that. So while I’m thrilled at all the attention you’re getting right now, I’m not surprised in the least. You deserve it. And I can’t wait to see what you come up with next. Whoever the bride is and whatever she wants, you’ll turn it into something spectacular, I just know it!”

Kurt bit his lip, clearly still undecided.

Blaine decided not to press the matter and changed the subject. “Are you staying for dinner? You eat fish, right? I was thinking of making an oven dish with salmon and codfish.”

Kurt smiled. “I’d love to. And yes, I eat fish. I love salmon.”

So Blaine took all the ingredients out and they set to it, chopping the carrots and leeks finely and braising them in some butter. They diced the fish into small cubes, too. Then Blaine made the sauce, a regular béchamel to which he added grated gruyere cheese and three big tablespoons of lobster bisque from a tin. They layered the vegetables and the fish in a casserole, and topped it all off with the sauce and some extra grated gruyere.

While the dish was in the oven, they peeled potatoes and set them to boil.

They microwaved the rest of the lobster bisque and ate that first, and by the time they’d finished, the potatoes were soft enough to mash and the oven timer had dinged.

Kurt seemed to really love the oven dish, and his first taste of Blaine’s creamy mashed potatoes with just the right amount of seasoning made him moan and made his eyes roll back in his head. “This is so delicious! I’m warning you, I’m going to steal your recipe.”

Blaine chuckled, but quite agreed that this comfort food was absolutely scrumptious.

After dinner, they migrated to the sofa, Blaine’s arm around Kurt’s waist and Kurt’s head on Blaine’s shoulder, mindlessly watching Cupcake Wars and flinging the odd comment at the television screen.

“Hey,” said Blaine after a while.

Kurt hummed in response.

“Are you staying the night again, or do you want to go home?” Blaine asked.

Kurt sat up a bit straighter and thought it over.

“We came here in your car,” he mused, “So I’ll have to take a taxi home. Maybe tomorrow morning, though, I feel a bit too lazy to move right now.”

Blaine laughed. “That, and you enjoyed dinner a little too much.”

Kurt’s cheeks grew pink, but he nodded.

“Seriously though, if you want, I can drive you home right now, it’s only half past seven,” Blaine pressed on.

Kurt hummed again, biting his bottom lip and frowning. “It’s so annoying that we live two hours apart,” he pouted.

“I know,” agreed Blaine.

“If you drive me home, you have to stay over at my place,” Kurt bartered.

“Deal,” said Blaine.

So they got up, collected their things and left for Lima.

There, they cuddled on the couch for a bit, but they were both still exhausted from the wedding, and turned in early.

Blaine revelled in having Kurt in his arms again. It definitely made him sleep better, and it made him feel so happy, his heart full to bursting point.

_I love you so much …_

**Recipes**

**Peanut Butter Oatmeal**

Ingredients (for 1 generous serving)

   3/4 cup 1-minute oats (also called quick-cooking oats)

   1 cup plain almond milk, plus more if needed

   3/4 cup water

   2 T. peanut butter

   1 t. brown sugar

   Pinch of ground cinnamon

   One banana

Preparation

Combine the 1-minute oats, plain almond milk, and water in a small saucepan over high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil. Add in the peanut butter, stirring well to incorporate, and cook for just 30 seconds or so more, or until the oatmeal comes to the right consistency. If oatmeal is too thick, add a splash or so more of almond milk and mix well to combine. Transfer oatmeal to a serving bowl. Top the oatmeal with the brown sugar and cinnamon, and mix these in. Add one sliced banana to the bowl just before serving.

(Source: http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/granolacerealsmuesli/r/Peanut-Butter-Oatmeal.htm)

 **Oatmeal Banana Cookies** 2 packets instant oatmeal / 1 very ripe banana Preheat oven to 350˚F. Mash banana in a bowl with a fork. Add two packets of cinnamon spice instant oatmeal (or any flavor of your choice) and mix into banana mash. Grease baking pan and scoop generous spoonfuls of batter onto sheet. Bake in oven for 15 minutes.

(Source: <http://nu.spoonuniversity.com/recipe/two-ingredient-treats/>)

**Salmon/Codfish oven dish (own recipe)**

Ingredients:

250-300 g salmon

250-300 g codfish (or other white fish)

6 carrots

3 leeks

approximately 250 g gruyere cheese (I’m a cheesaholic, so I use a lot of cheese. Feel free to use less!)

3 heaped table spoons of lobster bisque (from a tin)

béchamel sauce (please don’t make me explain how to make this sauce, I don’t do it the regular way)

Preparation:

Dice the vegetables finely and braise them in some butter. Meanwhile, you dice the fish into small cubes. Then you make a regular béchamel sauce, to which you add grated gruyere cheese (add small amounts, stir and taste, and stop when it’s cheesy enough for you) and three big tablespoons of lobster bisque from a tin.

Then distribute the vegetables and the fish over the casserole in layers, first vegetables, then fish, then vegetables again, then fish, and top it all off with the sauce and some extra grated gruyere for good measure.

Then the casserole goes into the oven, preheated to 180 ° Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit), for twenty minutes.

Serve with mashed potatoes, and enjoy!


	51. Every Moment Spent With You Is A Moment I Treasure

_“I want everything with you, America. I want the holidays and the birthdays, the busy seasons and lazy weekends. I want peanut butter fingerprints on my desk. I want inside jokes and fights and everything. I want a life with you.” (_ Kiera Cass _, The One)_

They were kissing and cuddling and Kurt was nearly purring with contentment. His stomach, though, wasn’t quite as pleased to be ignored, and loudly voiced its protest.

Mortified, Kurt hid his flaming face behind his face and apologised, but Blaine saw no need for that and just pulled Kurt off the bed with him and to the kitchen.

Blaine rattled off a few breakfast suggestions, and they decided on soft-boiled eggs. Kurt insisted it was his turn to make breakfast and sent Blaine off to the bathroom.

Next to the eggs, Kurt pressed some oranges for juice and peeled and diced two apples and pears, which he added to bowls of yoghurt. He also saw a very ripe banana in the fruit bowl, so he looked for instant oatmeal and preheated the oven to make oatmeal banana cookies.

He set the table and was preparing the toast soldiers when Blaine came back into the kitchen, smartly dressed, smelling divine and with gloriously untamed curls.

Blaine peered into the oven curiously and asked what Kurt was baking.

Kurt’s answer made Blaine beam and sigh happily.

_Blaine likes cookies. Duly noted._

They had nearly finished breakfast when the oven timer signalled that the cookies were done. Kurt took them out, and heard Blaine moan in appreciation.

When Kurt turned around, he was faced with an adorable sight: his boyfriend was pleading for a cookie and making puppy dog eyes at him, to which he added an epic pout when Kurt didn’t give in directly.

That made Kurt completely melt into a puddle.

_Aww, look at him … How could I possibly say no to that?_

When Kurt relented and let Blaine take a cookie, he did so with a spring in his step and a naughty grin.

_Hmm, if our children take after him, it might be harder than I thought to be the strict parent …_

When they had both finished breakfast, Kurt disappeared to the bathroom for a shower.

He was surprised when he came back in the living room. Pretty much every inch of the floor was covered in large pieces of cardboard. On one of the pieces, Blaine was painting the outline of a town.

The table held papier mâché in all sorts of colours, glue, scissors and all kinds of craft materials.

“Uhm, Blaine, what exactly are you doing?” Kurt inquired.

Blaine looked up, startled, as though he’d momentarily forgotten that Kurt was there. Then he explained that he was making backdrops and masks and props for the school’s Thanksgiving musical.

“Okay,” said Kurt. “What can I do?”

Blaine shot him a blinding smile and set him to work making masks.

It didn’t take long for Kurt to be as absorbed in his task as Blaine was, and his masks became masterpieces, each and every one of them, if he did say so himself.

When he’d made three masks, they switched tasks, Kurt painting a backdrop now. Blaine had requested a rural scene, so Kurt painted corn fields and a dirt road leading to a farm house in the distance.

After that, they switched things up again, and Kurt made several fake lanterns and paper hats.

While he was putting the finishing touches on a tricorn hat, Blaine checked his watch and declared that it was high time they took a coffee break.

“What time is it?” asked Kurt.

“4.30 already,” answered Blaine, disbelief colouring his voice.

Kurt decided to go fetch his phone in the bedroom and take some pictures of the masks, to show his father and Rachel. He hadn’t really checked his phone since Friday evening. At the wedding, he’d wanted to snap a picture of the decorations and noticed that his phone battery had given out, so he’d recharged it overnight. Now, when he switched it on, he was surprised and a bit alarmed to find that he had several missed phone calls and recorded messages. None from his family, though, so that was good. There was one text from Burt, though:

**From: Dad**

Hey kiddo, come and have lunch with me in the shop on Monday, will ya? Around twelvish.

Kurt raised his eyebrows at that, but replied:

**To: Dad**

Okay, I’ll be there. I’ll bring turkey on rye sandwiches. x Kurt

He frowned at the other messages, all from unknown numbers. He listened to the first message, which turned out to be from Naomi’s cousin Adrienne, who wanted him to design her wedding dress. The other messages were similar in kind. Evidently, Susan had not been exaggerating when she said Naomi’s dress would bring him more business.

Did he want to branch out and design wedding dresses regularly? Well, he’d certainly enjoyed revamping Naomi’s … And there was more scope of imagination in a wedding dress than in a tux, especially since most men seemed to favour conservative colours and classic profiles, whereas brides wanted a one-of-a-kind dress that would wow everyone.

There was definitely a downside to dealing with brides instead of with grooms, though. Brides tended to be a lot more volatile and capricious and harder to please and to work with. He could still remember Rachel’s tantrums and strident tones as though it was only yesterday. She’d been adamant that Kurt had to make her wedding dress, and she’d been so pleased with the end result, but before they got there … Kurt shuddered.

_Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts._

He went back to the living room and snapped some pictures of the masks, but decided not to send them to anyone just yet. He’d show them to Burt and Rachel later. Next Friday, perhaps.

Blaine noticed that he had something on his mind, and gently coaxed it out of him, until he told Blaine about all the people contacting him for a wedding dress.

Blaine beamed and declared that Kurt deserved every bit of that attention, and that he was looking forward to seeing Kurt’s next creation.

_Hmm, so he thinks I should do it? Hmm … Maybe I will._

Blaine asked Kurt if he wanted to stay for dinner, and together, they made an easy oven dish for dinner. Kurt liked cooking with Blaine. Sharing a kitchen with him was effortless and fun. Kurt peeled the carrots and handed them to Blaine to chop, moving to the sink to wash the dirt out of the leeks and then handing them to Blaine as well. While the vegetables were softly simmering, Kurt diced the fish and Blaine made the cheese sauce.

Then, when the dish was in the oven, they both sat down at the kitchen table and peeled potatoes, turning it into a competition to see who could produce the longest curl, peeling a whole potato in one go. Kurt won, but only by a small margin, and Blaine demanded a rematch next time, to which Kurt readily agreed, grinning at their silliness.

The food was absolutely delicious, and Kurt ate far more of it than he should have, and plumped down on Blaine’s sofa after dinner with a groan.

_I’m never moving again …_

But apparently, he would have to. Blaine asked if he was staying over again, and much as he wanted to, he knew he had to go back to Lima. He had work to do tomorrow, and he was seeing his dad for lunch.

So he accepted Blaine’s offer to drive him to Lima, on condition that Blaine stayed the night at Kurt’s.

Blaine readily agreed, smiling beautifully.

At Kurt’s place, they watched some more television, or pretended to watch while they were in fact kissing and cuddling, but Blaine started yawning very soon, and Kurt followed, so they decided to just go to bed already and cuddle there until they fell asleep.

Blaine’s eyes closed quickly. Kurt, secure in Blaine’s arms, looked at his beautiful boyfriend’s face and sighed, feeling blissfully happy yet melancholy at the same time. It had been such a wonderful weekend. He loved spending time with Blaine, whatever they did. And he would miss Blaine so much come Monday. Was this what love felt like? A tether binding you to a person so thoroughly and tightly that every minute you didn’t spend with them seemed like a minute lost?

_I hate that we live so far apart. I want you with me every day and every night._


	52. Heart-to-heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of you left a comment saying that the images I've inserted into the story make it impossible to read on a phone or tablet. I never thought of that, and I'm truly sorry. I'll take the images back out. You can find them on Tumblr anyway (I'm lilyvandersteen on Tumblr, too).

“ _Even more, I had never meant to love him. One thing I truly knew - knew it in the pit of my stomach, in the center of my bones, knew it from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, knew it deep in my empty chest - was how love gave someone the power to break you._ ” (Stephenie Meyer, _New Moon_ )

Kurt woke up feeling slightly disoriented. The bed was cold where Blaine had slept, so his boyfriend must have been up for a while.

Kurt yawned, stretched, rubbed his eyes and got up. He heard Blaine sing, and padded to the kitchen, but though there was fresh coffee in the pot, there were no other breakfast preparations and Blaine was nowhere in sight.

_Oh, he’s in the shower, I guess …_

He looked at the oven clock and blanched. It was 6.35 AM already. No wonder Blaine wasn’t bothering with breakfast, he was running late!

_Okay, that calls for my emergency breakfast bars …_

He reached for the cookie tin in one of his top cabinets, and took out two breakfast bars for Blaine. He filled a travel mug with coffee, and busied himself chopping fruit for a fruit salad, which he put into a small Tupperware container. He put a spoon on top and fixed it there with a rubber band. Then he put everything into a sturdy paper bag, put it on the table by the front door and waited for Blaine to emerge from the bathroom, ready to help him into his coat.

Two minutes later, Blaine stormed out of the bathroom.

“Hey honey,” said Kurt cheerfully, “I packed breakfast for you.” He pointed at the paper bag.

“I … forgot … to set the alarm,” panted Blaine, reaching for his shoes and putting them on in record time. “So sorry … to hurry away … like that … but … I’m late!”

“I know,” smiled Kurt. “Don’t worry about it, we had all weekend together. Text me when you’ve arrived at school, okay?”

Kurt helped Blaine into his coat and hugged and kissed him. Then he handed him the paper bag. “Off you go now! Don’t keep your class waiting!”

Blaine gave him a last peck on his lips and hurried down the stairs.

Kurt watched his car disappear around the corner and swallowed thickly.

_Each time, it gets harder to see him leave._

Kurt ate a bowl of muesli and got ready for the day. He usually wasn’t up this early, but he would put the extra time to good use. His newest thriller was finished and now it needed to be edited before he sent it to his publisher.

Even though he’d been so busy with Naomi’s dress, he’d been writing like a man possessed whenever he found a free moment. Writing equated with stress relief for him, and his muse seemed to positively thrive on stressful situations and lack of sleep, happily providing the inspiration he needed at the most inopportune moments, making his hands itch to write it all down before he forgot about it.

And yes, he definitely had his signature detective now. He smiled fondly, thinking of the character he’d created. Devon Bergensen was like Blaine in so many ways. He had the same dreamy looks and curly hair that exasperated him so much that he gelled it down into oblivion. He also possessed the enviable talent of getting along with just about anyone. Young, old, man, woman: everyone fell for his charm. He was perspicacious and mature beyond his years. He did his job with drive and dedication, coupled with a fierce sense of justice. He’d been through so much, yet he still persisted in seeing the best in everyone and offering second chances.

Charles Henson was interesting, too. He’d started out as just a run-of-the-mill murderer whose first murder attempt failed. Then, bizarrely, his second attempt failed, too, as did the next half-hearted attempts, and each time, Charles left a clear crumb trail for Devon to follow. And what did Devon find out in the end? Not only that Charles never had any intention of really killing the person he was after, but that he was trying to bring that man to justice in his own devious way. In the end, it was not Charles who was charged with murder, but his “victim”, Edward Moore, who had not only taken the life of Charles’ mother, but of many other women as well.

Devon could have figured it all out sooner, only he’d been distracted by Charles. He’d nearly caught him in the act during the first murder attempt, and caught a glimpse of piercing blue-green eyes that had haunted his dreams. After the second attempt, he’d chased after Charles and given himself a firm talking-to when he’d grown distracted admiring Charles’ fine figure. Just before Charles disappeared in the dark, he had laughed, and Devon’s heart had skipped a beat when he heard the clear bell-like sound.

So Devon had felt guilty for liking a murderer, yet he’d pined after him for weeks. And then, when the truth had dawned on him, he’d been numb with relief. He had painstakingly collected all the evidence and brought Edward Moore to justice. Then, when he’d seen Edward sentenced to death, he’d slowly left the courtroom, lead in his legs all of a sudden when he realised he’d never see Charles again.

He knew where Charles’ mother was buried now, and he went to visit her grave. And while he was talking to her, explaining that her son had brought the truth to light, Charles appeared. He caught the tail end of Devon’s speech, and it choked him up. So when Devon stopped talking and turned around, he bumped into a crying Charles. The book ended with Devon letting Charles cry on his shoulder and then inviting him to go have coffee with him, and taking Charles’ hand in his when he said yes.

Kurt was pleased with how the story had turned out, but he very much wondered what his publisher Kevin would think of it. He’d never weaved a love story into the plot before. He’d always liked that when it happened in Agatha Christie’s books, though, so maybe Kevin wouldn’t mind. After all, he’d wanted a detective that would stick around for a while, hadn’t he? In that case, giving said detective a love interest might not be a bad idea.

Kurt skimmed through the text, scanning it for typos, spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and sentences that were poorly written or ambiguous.

When that was done, he checked his watch and yelped when he saw that it was already ten past twelve. He immediately sent a text to his dad to warn him he’d be a bit later and set to making sandwiches for himself and Burt.

Twenty minutes later, Kurt found his dad in his office in the shop.

“Hey dad, sorry I’m late,” Kurt apologised.

Burt, who was writing an invoice, just grunted in response, finished up and handed the invoice to the customer. The man paid and left, and Burt turned to Kurt. “Hey kiddo.”

Kurt handed him one of the sandwiches and took one of the desk chairs.

Burt bit into his sandwich and grunted in appreciation.

Kurt decided to be straightforward. “So what did you want to talk about, dad?”

Burt took his cap off and scratched his head for a second. “I wanted to say sorry for Friday. You know. For being grouchy. For grilling Blaine. You’re right. You’re an adult now, and it’s not my place to meddle.”

Kurt nodded. “Apology accepted.”

Burt sighed deeply. “For what it’s worth, this Blaine of yours seems a nice enough kid. It’s just … When you came back home after your sixteenth birthday, you were so … Closed-off. I’d hoped you came back to live with me because you wanted to. Because you missed me as much as I missed you all those years. But you came back, and though you’d grown, you were just like that little boy that pushed me away time and again because he only wanted his mom. Only now, you didn’t do it physically. You just … kept your distance. As though I was a random stranger, instead of your dad. And I could see that something had happened, there in LA, something that had really shaken you up. It killed me to see you so broken. But you didn’t say a word about it, and then you found out about me seeing Carole, and you really let me have it, and it took me months to even make you acknowledge Carole and be polite to her and her son. So I guess I got side-tracked. And I didn’t really dare to ask you what had happened. We didn’t have much of a relationship back then, and I didn’t want to drive you away again. But it cut me up inside that you were unhappy and that I couldn’t help. That I hadn’t been there for you when you needed me. Maybe I should have held on to you all those years ago. Told Mary that I’d sort it all out. Kept you with me. I’m sorry I didn’t. You’ve grown closer to me over the years, but I’m still not the first person you come to with good or bad news. I wish I were. You’re my son and I’m tremendously proud of you, but I wish you’d let me be more of a dad.”

Kurt had listened to Burt’s speech silently, but somewhere halfway through, he’d started crying silently, tears dripping from his face. His mind went back to his sixteen-year-old self and his heart ached both for himself and his dad.

He sniffled and blew his nose, and then looked at Burt.

“I was just a big ball of frustration and anger, and I took it all out on you. That wasn’t fair of me, and I’m really sorry. I should have told you what had happened, though I’m not sure I would have been able to talk about it back then. What did Aunt Mary tell you?”

Burt shrugged. “That you’d had a party and that it had gotten out of hand. And that the paparazzi had taken pictures, and that you were very ashamed, and didn’t want anything more to do with fame. That you’d quit your role on that TV series, and just wanted to come home and forget about it all.”

Kurt let out a humourless chuckle. “That’s the bare bones of it, yes. There’s more to it, though. Remember what I said Friday, about that boy I had a crush on?”

Burt frowned and nodded.

“He played my elder brother in A Tree Called Life. My first day on set, the director asked him to show me around and take me under his wing. He did, and he was a good friend to me some of the time. He taught me French. He told me stories and listened to mine in return, and encouraged me to write my stories down. He made me laugh. He helped me with my homework. He taught me how to fold pretty much anything I wanted from a piece of paper. He was easy to talk to and fun to be around, some of the time. And then, at other times, he’d want me gone. He’d call me a baby and send me away. He refused to talk to me, to sit with me, to have anything to do with me. It was confusing. And I liked him, dad, I really liked him. Practically from Day One. But he never showed any interest in me that way until my sweet sixteen party. It was stupid of me to throw that party. I wish I hadn’t. There were far too many people, and there was far too much alcohol. I had never drunk alcohol before. Ever. And I didn’t realise the effect it would have. It made me do really stupid things.”

Kurt stopped there for a moment and took a long, shuddering breath. Burt put his hand on Kurt’s shoulder comfortingly.

When the silence stretched on, Burt prompted: “It made you do stupid things, you say. What did you do?”

Kurt flushed rosy red and swallowed nervously. “We … we stripped off all our clothes and jumped into the swimming pool.”

Burt let out a short bark of laughter. “Been there, done that.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow at this revelation, but it gave him the courage to go on. “And this boy … he was there, too. And I … I kind of attacked him. Kissed him and stuff.”

“And he went along with it?” inquired Burt.

“Yes. Yes, he did,” confirmed Kurt. He hesitated a moment, and then went on: “And then the paparazzi showed up and started taking pictures. And I was ashamed and horrified … And the boy … he just laughed and ran away. And I was angry with him for leaving me in this mess. I was heart-broken too. I could see it hadn’t meant much to him, as it had to me.”

“Maybe he just didn’t know how to deal with his feelings,” said Burt reasonably. “You should have talked to him before you left your whole life there behind and came back here. Have you talked to him since?”

“Only once,” admitted Kurt.

“And did he explain himself?” asked Burt.

Kurt snorted. “No, he didn’t.”

“Well, if you ever see him again, talk it out,” Burt advised. “You’ll feel better afterwards.”

Kurt hummed non-committally and took a bite from his sandwich. Burt took that to mean that their conversation was over and continued eating as well.

When they’d both finished, they stood up to go back to work, and Burt surprised Kurt with a bear hug.

“Thanks for telling me, son. You know you can come to me whenever you like, right? Whatever the matter is? Don’t bottle it up. Don’t try to deal with everything yourself. Sometimes it helps just to talk about it. And I’m always here for you.”

“I know,” nodded Kurt. “Thank you, dad. Now please let go, I can’t breathe!”


	53. A Jonah Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Accompanying pictures for all the chapters can be found on my Tumblr account (lilyvandersteen as well).

“ _When Anne arose in the dull, bitter winter morning she felt that life was flat, stale, and unprofitable._

 _She went to school in no angelic mood. Her cheek was swollen and her face ached. The schoolroom was cold and smoky, for the fire refused to burn and the children were huddled about it in shivering groups. Anne sent them to their seats with a sharper tone than she had ever used before. Anthony Pye strutted to his with his usual impertinent swagger and she saw him whisper something to his seat-mate and then glance at her with a grin._ ” (Lucy Maud Montgomery, _Anne of Avonlea_ )

Blaine woke up around the same time he usually did, and sighed blissfully when he realised he still had Kurt in his arms. Then his sleep-hazy brain cleared and he looked at the alarm clock.

_Uh-oh … I totally forgot to set the alarm! It’s 6.23 AM and I’m in Lima. I need to be in school at 8.30 and it takes two hours to get there!_

He scrambled out of bed and ran to the kitchen to prepare some coffee, and then, while it was dripping through, he raced to the bathroom and took a quick shower. He dressed, gelled his hair down and sprinted to the living room to put his shoes on.

There, to his surprise, Kurt was waiting for him.

Blaine apologised for leaving so abruptly, but Kurt didn’t seem to mind. He held out Blaine’s coat and gave him a breakfast bag to take along with him.

Blaine kissed Kurt and rushed down the stairs and to his car, thinking “ _I really hope there’s coffee in the bag …”_

He drove as fast as he could without breaking the speed limits and arrived at school five minutes late, harried and frantic and deciding to wait until morning break to have breakfast.

During morning break, he had to endure the teasing from his colleagues, who seemed to think his tardiness was due to other reasons than oversleeping. Jeff gambolled around him like an excited puppy and wanted him to recount his entire weekend, leaving nothing out. Tina and Chelsey and even Juliet and Nora were clamouring for details. And he really, really didn’t want to talk about it right now. He just wanted to have some breakfast, preferably in peace and quiet.

So he snapped at his colleagues to leave him alone for goodness sake. They weren’t used to outbursts like that from Blaine, and when he saw their shocked faces, he instantly felt guilty. It had shut them up effectively, though, so he focused on having breakfast first.

The bag did contain coffee, in a travel mug, as well as a fruit salad and two cereal bars. He finished it all and sighed in satisfaction.

_I really have the best boyfriend in the world …_

Then he apologised to his colleagues and promised to tell them all about his weekend during lunch hour.

“Uhm, Blaine, you’re supervising the school yard at lunch today,” Juliet remarked tentatively, clearly trying to avoid him getting angry again. “It’s Monday.”

“Oh,” replied Blaine.

_I hadn’t thought of that. I’m really out of it today._

“Some other time, then,” Blaine promised.

He went back to his classroom, and checked his phone for any new messages. There was nothing from Kurt, but Blaine’s father had sent him a curt text.

**From: Edward Anderson**

We’re expecting you for Thanksgiving. 11 AM sharp. No excuses this year. You have some explaining to do.

In an instant, his mood went from off-kilter to murderous.

_Really, father? I have some explaining to do? What is there to explain? I’m gay, always have been, always will be, world without end, amen. And I’ve finally found love. That’s all there’s to it. It’s not an elaborate plot to discredit you, or whatever else is going through your head right now. I’m not thinking of you AT ALL. I’m a grown man, not a little child you can scold and order around. It’s MY life, and I intend to live it as I see fit._

**To: Edward Anderson**

I’m only coming for Thanksgiving if Kurt is welcome as well - Blaine

He decided to send a quick text to Kurt as well.

**To: Kurt Hummel**

I was only five minutes late. Thank you for breakfast, you’re the best! xxx Blaine

Then he stowed away his phone and concentrated on teaching his class the basic physics of air pressure with two plastic bottles, one with a hole in it and one without a hole and two balloons.

He asked for two volunteers and gave them each a bottle and a balloon, asking them to place the balloon inside the neck of the bottle and then blow it up.

Maria, who’d received the bottle with a hole in it, was able to blow up her balloon without a problem. Robby, though, whose bottle was intact, didn’t manage to get the balloon to inflate at all.

Blaine explained why. In the bottle with the hole, the bottle’s air could escape, allowing the balloon to grow bigger. In the bottle without the hole, the air inside was trapped and it pushed harder to get out than the balloon could push to get room when Robby blew on it. That’s why his balloon didn’t inflate.

Robby pouted magnificently. “You tricked me, Mr. A!”

The children all laughed.

“Now,” said Blaine, “we’re going to make a tiny hole here at the bottom of Robby’s bottle, and that will allow the compressed air to escape … and Robby to blow up his balloon.”

He did just that, and Robby blew up his balloon and presented it with a flourish and a bow, earning him a delighted applause from his audience and Blaine’s first laugh of the day.

During lunch hour, Tina came to talk with him while he was supervising the school yard. He reassured her that the weekend had been everything he’d hoped for and more. He was just grumpy because he’d overslept that morning and because he hadn’t wanted to leave Kurt in such a hurry.

“And I don’t even have anything to eat for lunch, and I’m stuck here,” Blaine whined.

Tina rolled her eyes and stated: “Well, that’s easily fixed. Give me some money and I’ll go fetch you something. What would you like?”

“Could you fetch me a sub sandwich, please?” Blaine asked, fishing some change out of his pocket and handing her about eight dollars. “Oven-roasted chicken, please.”

“Foot-long?” inquired Tina.

“Yes, please, I’m starving!”

“Okay, I’ll be right back!” Tina replied, and with a wink and a wave, she was gone.

The rest of the day was, thankfully, uneventful, and when Blaine got home, he threw himself into more crafting for the musical.

After several hours, he was interrupted by his telephone ringing. An unknown number. He picked up, and before he could even say hello, a steady stream of chatter came his way.

“Blaine? Hey Blaine, this is Rachel Hudson, Kurt’s sister-in-law. I asked Kurt for your number, if you’re wondering how I got it. I hope that’s okay. Kurt must have thought you wouldn’t mind, because he gave me your number straightaway. Anyway, I’m calling you because I have a favour to ask of you.”

As soon as Blaine could get a word in edgewise, he replied: “Rachel, hi. How can I help you?”

“Well, do you remember Leah from the wedding? Naomi’s middle sister?” Rachel prompted.

“No, I’m afraid I don’t,” admitted Blaine.

“Well, her twin daughters Hannah and Clara are turning four, and she’s asked me to plan their birthday party. And it turns out they’re really into princesses and fairy tales. So the theme will be “Princesses”, with dress-up and make-overs and princess lessons and pink cupcakes, but I want to end the party with you telling them a story and maybe singing some Disney songs for them. Would you be willing to do that? You’d be paid for it, of course.”

Blaine chuckled. “Yes, yes, I would. It sounds like fun.”

“Oh good,” said Rachel brightly. “But … There’s a catch … I’d like you to dress up as a prince, to fit in with the theme.”

Blaine threw his head back and laughed. “This sounds better and better. Yes, I’d be honoured to be those girls’ Prince Charming for the day. Absolutely. You can count on me. When’s the party?”

“It’s this Wednesday afternoon,” Rachel clarified. “The party starts at 3 PM, and I’d expect you around 4.30 PM, would that be okay? Leah lives on the outskirts of Westerville. I’ll text you the address.”

“Okay,” Blaine grinned. “I’m looking forward to it. My colleague Nora’s husband runs an amateur theatre group. I’ll ask her if they have a prince costume I could borrow.”

“Thank you so much,” Rachel gushed. “Let me know about the costume. If you can borrow one, send me a picture of it. If not, I’ll find you a costume. Exactly how tall are you?”

“Five feet eight inches,” answered Blaine.

“Okay, I’ve written that down,” said Rachel. “Let me know as soon as possible. I’ll text you the address, and I’ll see you there Wednesday at 4.30 PM. Thanks again for helping me out, I really appreciate it!”

“It’s my pleasure,” Blaine assured her. “See you Wednesday, Rachel. Bye!”

“Bye!”

Blaine went to his texts to send Nora a message straightaway, but he was distracted by two angry texts from his father that must have arrived this morning.

**From: Edward Anderson**

You will not disrespect me this way. Stop acting out and behave like an upstanding citizen.

**From: Edward Anderson**

If you’re unable to bring a girl as your date, like any normal man, we expect you alone. 11 AM sharp.

_Seriously, father? Like a NORMAL man? I’m not even dignifying this with a response!_

Fuming, he stomped to the kitchen, made himself a quick dinner and ate it.

As he was rinsing his plate in the sink, he remembered that he had to send a text to Nora about the prince costume, so he grabbed his phone and composed a text.

**To: Nora Clegg**

Hey Nora, could you ask Henry if his theatre group has a prince costume I could borrow?

**To: Nora Clegg**

I’m impersonating Prince Charming at a birthday party this Wednesday ;-)

Nora replied promptly.

**From: Nora Clegg**

Henry has racked his brains and remembered an outfit that could work :-)

**From: Nora Clegg**

It’s a bottle-green coat with gold embroidery, white riding breeches, a lavender gold-dusted waistcoat and an electric blue neck cloth.

**From: Nora Clegg**

Would that do? And do you want riding boots as well? What size?

**To: Nora Clegg**

That sounds perfect! And yes, I’d like the boots as well. I’m a ten in shoe size.

**To: Nora Clegg**

Could you bring the costume and boots with you to school tomorrow? Thanks!

**From: Nora Clegg**

Only if you promise to try it on at school and give us girls a teaser of your Prince Charming performance ;-)

Blaine laughed out loud.

**To: Nora Clegg**

Deal! Prepare to swoon :-)

That was the costume sorted out, thankfully. Blaine sent a quick text to Rachel to tell her he’d scored a costume and that he’d send her a picture of it the next day. Then he started up his laptop to Skype with Kurt. Only, Kurt was not online, though it was nine PM already.

Blaine tried reaching Kurt on the phone, but the line was busy. Frowning, he went to the sofa and watched some television, trying to call Kurt every quarter of an hour, and growing increasingly frustrated when he kept getting a busy signal.

At 10.30 PM, he gave up and decided to send Kurt a goodnight text and turn in.

**To: Kurt Hummel**

I tried to reach you, but the line was busy :-(

**To: Kurt Hummel**

Rachel called just now. You’ll never guess what she wanted …

**To: Kurt Hummel**

Can we Skype tomorrow at 9 PM please?

**To: Kurt Hummel**

Good night and sweet dreams xxx Blaine


	54. Of Princes and Problems

““ _I feel stupid, though. You don’t know how stupid I feel sometimes. I can’t even get a decent-paying job, because I can barely read and write. I can’t take a phone message without embarrassing myself. Or fill out a check at the grocery store. Do you know how I got the job at Captain Bob’s? I took the application home and Allison filled it out for me.”_

_“I don’t understand.”_

_She hiccupped. “I have dyslexia._ ”” (Julie Ortolon, _Falling for You_ )

On Tuesday morning, Blaine was woken by the loud beep of an incoming text. Groggily, he looked at his alarm clock.

_Six in the morning? Who would send me a text at six in the morning?_

He checked who it was from.

_Oh … Rachel … Why am I not surprised?_

**From: Rachel Hudson**

I only saw your text this morning. Glad you’ve found a costume. Don’t forget to send me a picture, please. - Rachel

_I won’t, ma’am._

Blaine scratched in his hair, stretched until his joints popped and got up.

_Time for a run. That will wake me up._

When Blaine came back from his run and checked his phone before hitting the shower, he finally had news from Kurt.

**From: Kurt Hummel**

So sorry, baby … A customer called me last night right before our usual Skype time and talked my ear off for two hours straight.

**From: Kurt Hummel**

I might want to reconsider branching out. Grooms are so much easier to deal with than brides!

**From: Kurt Hummel**

Yes, Rachel called and asked for your number. I hope you don’t mind I gave it to her.

**From: Kurt Hummel**

She said something about a princess-themed birthday party. So where do you come in?

**From: Kurt Hummel**

Tonight we’re definitely Skyping. I’m not answering my phone from 6 PM onwards (except if it’s you or dad).

Blaine grinned.

_That’s more like it!_

He sent a quick answer.

**To: Kurt Hummel**

Good morning sunshine! You’re up early today!

**To: Kurt Hummel**

I was grouchy all day yesterday because I missed you. A true Jonah day. Everything seemed to go wrong.

**To: Kurt Hummel**

Rachel wants me to come tell a story at the party. Dressed as Prince Charming :-) I’ll tell you all about it tonight. xxx

Kurt must have been waiting for a reply: he answered straightaway.

**From: Kurt Hummel**

I had trouble sleeping without you. Wow, now I want to see you in your prince costume :-) Can’t wait until tonight. Miss you! xxx

Blaine’s grin widened. He jumped into the shower belting out “Walking on Sunshine” at the top of his lungs. He ate some cereal and an apple and walked to school with a spring in his step, actually skipping the last few metres. He caught a few parents glancing at him askance, but he just shot them a smile so sunny that they couldn’t help but smile back.

In class, he collected the children’s homework, and noticed that the work Florian handed in differed from the others’.

“Florian, did you write down the homework assignment yesterday?” asked Blaine, trying not to sound too accusing.

Florian’s cheeks darkened, and he wouldn’t meet Blaine’s eyes.

“Florian?” Blaine insisted.

“I didn’t, Mr. A,” admitted Florian. “I was swapping Panini stickers with Ben.”

Blaine crouched down next to Florian and looked him straight in the eyes. “Florian, I don’t want to nag, but since you’re dyslexic, it’s really important that you write the assignment down every day. I should have checked that you had. Why didn’t you call one of your friends to ask what you had to do for homework? We wrote down three telephone numbers of friends of yours in your homework book, didn’t we?”

Florian’s lip trembled. “I didn’t want to call them. They already think I’m dumb. I don’t want to make it worse.”

Blaine felt a bolt of anger shoot through him. “You’re not dumb, Florian! You’re one of the brightest boys of my class, and that’s saying something. Why do you feel like this? Did your classmates … What did they say? What did they do? Who was it?”

By now, a fat tear was trickling down Florian’s cheek. “Yesterday afternoon … We took turns reading. And when it was my turn, I got a word wrong, and … They all laughed!”

Blaine remembered. The sentence was “The next day, he felt better” and somehow, Florian had read “The next day, he felt butter”. And yes, his class had laughed, but just because that sentence was silly. They hadn’t meant to laugh at Florian, right?

“I’m sorry we made you feel that way, Florian,” said Blaine. “I’m sure your classmates didn’t mean to laugh at you, though, they just found the sentence funny.”

Florian didn’t answer. He just looked up at Blaine, his face a picture of misery, and another tear dripping from his eye.

Blaine quickly strode to the front of his classroom and called everyone’s attention.

“Okay, everyone, listen up! I’m introducing a new game. It’s called ‘I caught you’. Whenever we’re reading stories here in class, I want you to really pay attention to what you’re hearing, because I’m going to tell two children to try and fool you all, by changing a word here and there. And then I want you to be quick as a flash and yell ‘I caught you’, when you hear a word that doesn’t belong in the sentence.”

Blaine took a book of fairy tales off the shelf. “I’ll give you an example. This is the story of Goldilocks, you all know it. So as soon as you hear something that doesn’t seem right, you yell ‘I caught you’. Okay?”

“Okay”, chorused the children.

Blaine read the beginning of the story, and then he slipped up purposely. “The first bowl of porridge was too hot. The second bowl of porridge was too cucumber.”

“I caught you”, yelled several children at once, and then they all giggled.

“What word was wrong?” asked Blaine innocently.

“Cucumber!” shouted Robby. “The second bowl of porridge was too cold, Mr. A. That’s what you should have said!”

“Brilliant!” smiled Blaine. “I can tell you’re going to be really good at this game!”

He looked at Florian, who had a tiny smile on his face. Blaine winked at him, and the smile grew larger and more hopeful.

_This should help a bit. I sure hope no-one’s ever going to laugh at him again for getting a word wrong. Still, maybe I should make more of an effort. Check his homework book every day from now on, and make sure he takes the right worksheets and books home. And maybe call my bud Ryder from college and ask him to help me out. Give me a few pointers, or even come here to talk to my class about his struggle with being dyslexic. He’s a professional football player now; they’ll look up to him no end._

K&B

When he arrived at the teachers’ lounge for his lunch break, Nora handed him the costume and the boots with a wink.

“Go change and come wow us!” she ordered.

He grinned, went to his classroom and quickly changed into his prince gear, stoked when he saw there was even a sword. Then he strutted back to the teachers’ lounge, where they all squealed and clapped their hands when they saw him.

“Ta-da!” said Blaine. He whipped out his phone and held it out to Nora. “Nora, take a picture of me, please? I have to send it through to the party planner.”

Nora obliged and he quickly sent the picture to both Rachel and Kurt, with the caption: “Prince Blaine at your service!”

“Which prince are you supposed to be?” asked Juliet, gazing at him dreamily.

“Whichever prince strikes your fancy, my lady,” said Blaine pompously, with an exaggerated bow.

Jeff started to hum, then sing. “I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream …”

“May I have this dance, my lady?” Blaine asked Juliet, and when she beamed at him, he took her by the waist and twirled her all around the teacher’s lounge.

Then he danced with Tina, and he offered Nora a dance too, but she declined. “Go offer that dance to Chelsey, in the school yard. She’s really missing out, poor girl, you owe it to her to show her your costume and your sweet moves.”

He grinned and promised to go dance with her as soon as he’d had a bite to eat.

“What about me, Blainey?” pouted Jeff.

Blaine laughed and danced a funny Lindy Hop with Jeff, dipping him low at the end.

Their colleagues applauded and cat-called.

“Okay, now let me eat, please,” Blaine implored, panting. “Even princes have to eat every now and then, you know.”

He devoured his sandwiches and then strode to the school yard with the others in tow. Chelsey’s eyes grew large upon noticing him.

“Wow, Blaine, who are you supposed to be?” she inquired.

“Prince Charming, at your service,” bowed Blaine. “Would you care for a dance, ma’am?”

“Why, yes, your highness,” replied Chelsey, fluttering her eyelashes. “I’d be delighted.”

He swept her away and waltzed her around the school yard until they were both out of breath and sat down on a bench.

The children were upon them in a moment.

“Mr. A, you look like a prince!” breathed Lily, awestruck, running her hand over his sleeve.

“Are you a prince?” asked Jenny. Blaine shook his head, smiling.

“Why are you dancing with Ms. Miller?” inquired Robby. “You were holding hands with Mr. Hummel last time!”

“Just for fun,” chuckled Blaine. “Mr. Hummel is still very much my boyfriend, I’m happy to say.”

“Has he fallen asleep and do you need to wake him up with your kiss?” asked Jasmine shyly.

“No, thankfully, he hasn’t,” laughed Blaine. “Though I would in a heartbeat, if necessary.”

“Even when it’s not necessary,” added Jeff, wiggling his eyebrows. “He likes kissing Mr. Hummel.”

“Even though he’s not a girl?” asked Tom dubiously.

“Even though he’s not a girl,” confirmed Blaine. “I happen to like boys.”

“Is Mr. Hummel a prince?” asked Jenny.

“He is to me,” grinned Blaine, causing his female colleagues to go “Awwww” and Jeff to whistle and make silly kissy faces and noises until Blaine batted him away.

K&B

When he logged in on Skype after dinner, Kurt called him straightaway, though it was only half past seven.

_He must have been waiting for me._

The thought was balm to his soul after not being able to reach Kurt at all the day before.

“Hello, my handsome prince,” smiled Kurt.

“Hey gorgeous,” breathed Blaine.

“Sorry again for bailing on you last night. I’ll make a point of not answering my phone after 6 PM from now on. I just don’t want that to happen again.”

“Hey, I understand,” Blaine soothed. “You said it was a customer. That’s important.”

“She’s related to Naomi,” said Kurt, “and she could talk the hind leg off an elephant.”

Blaine chuckled.

“So tell me about this birthday party?” asked Kurt.

And Blaine was off, explaining the set-up and pitching his story ideas to Kurt, gesticulating enthusiastically.

When he went to bed after a long Skype session, he was still grinning from ear to ear, and he fell asleep dreaming of his very own Snow White.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case you were wondering: the song Jeff sings is "Once Upon A Dream" from the Disney film "Sleeping Beauty".


	55. Party Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't say it often enough, but thank you so much to everyone who leaves me comments and helps me shape this story ... I'm eternally grateful!

“ _It's not the face, but the expressions on it. It's not the voice, but what you say. It's not how you look in that body, but the things you do with it. You are beautiful._ ” (Stephenie Meyer, _The Host_ )

Kurt felt infinitely better after that talk with his dad. He’d been apprehensive of telling Burt what had happened all those years ago, but Burt had reacted really well to it. Kurt wasn’t sure he’d take his dad’s advice, though. He had no desire to see Sebastian ever again or to talk to him. Would that bring him closure? It might, but he wouldn’t hold his breath for it. Still, it was a weight off his chest to have shared this with someone so close to him, and he was glad his dad now knew the whole story. Well, as much of it as he was willing to share, anyway.

He sent his manuscript to his publisher, mentioning in the accompanying note that he’d added a dedication, and that he wanted an advance copy of the book as soon as humanly possible.

He checked the time on his phone and saw that Blaine had sent him a text to thank him for breakfast.

Then, with a sigh, he set to calling back his prospective customers and scheduling a first meeting so as to discuss what exactly they had in mind. He couldn’t reach Naomi’s cousin, whose line was busy, but decided to call back later.

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly, with Kurt packing up orders, sewing some accessories and scouring the internet for a patterned fabric he’d run out of and needed some more of for the cuffs and collar of a shirt he was sewing. His supplier no longer made it, so he begged for it on several quilters’ forums and hoped a kind soul would have some to spare for him. He had a back-up fabric, but that was positively bland next to the vibrant pattern of his first choice fabric.

At 6.30 PM, he went upstairs and started making dinner. He was cutting and de-seeding sweet peppers for a stir-fry when his phone rang. It was Rachel, and she wanted Blaine’s phone number. Apparently, Rachel had made a good impression on Naomi’s sister Leah while dealing with the Ian situation at the wedding. Leah wanted Rachel to plan a birthday party for her twin daughters, who were turning four. The theme was going to be “princesses”. As Rachel rattled on and on about the decorations and cupcakes and entertainment she had in mind, Kurt tuned out a bit, and he took advantage of Rachel taking a deep breath for a new volley of words to interrupt her and tell her he’d text her Blaine’s number immediately.

“Oh, thank you, Kurt,” said Rachel chipperly, and she wished him a good evening and ended the call.

He texted her the number, as promised, and briefly wondered what on earth she needed Blaine for.

_Ah well, I’ll hear it from Blaine soon enough …_

After dinner, he did the dishes and then logged in on the quilters’ forums again to see if he had received any messages. A few people had reacted, sending him pictures of fabrics that resembled the one he was looking for, but none of them had the exact same shade or pattern.

_I’ll give it a few more days … I really want that fabric. I used it for the lining of the vest, too._

When his phone rang again shortly before nine, he thought it was Blaine, and answered without checking the caller ID.

“Hello, is this Kurt Hummel?” asked an unknown female voice.

“Yes, this is he,” answered Kurt politely.

“Hello, this is Adrienne Keller,” the woman introduced herself. “I’m Naomi’s cousin. I was at her wedding this Saturday, and I was completely blown away by her dress. So when she told me you were the designer, I knew that I had to contact you. Could I persuade you to design my wedding dress? I’m getting married in May, so you won’t have to rush at all this time. And I completely trust your vision. I’m not going to go bridezilla on you like my cousin Ruth. All I ask is that you make it a coloured dress. I don’t want to get married in white.”

She then proceeded to give Kurt a thorough description of everything she wanted and everything she certainly didn’t want in a wedding dress. So much for leaving it all to Kurt to decide.

_Still, it’s better to get her take on it now than when the dress is almost finished and has to be completely redone … And she seems to know what she’s talking about. I agree with most things she says. I wish she’d wrap up the conversation though, I want to talk to Blaine._

But every time Kurt tried to end the phone call, Adrienne deflected that deftly and steamrollered on. She only hung up when she noticed that it was past eleven PM, apologising for another five minutes for talking that long and keeping him up.

_Wow … And I thought Rachel was talkative … I feel like a car just ran over me. My head is pounding like nobody’s business. And of course, Blaine will be fast asleep by now. It’s nearly half past eleven! Note to self: check the caller ID before accepting a call late at night. Let the customers call during business hours._

Kurt took an Advil and got into bed, sad that he hadn’t been able to talk to Blaine. _Tomorrow_ , he promised himself.

K&B

The next morning, he woke up early. As he drank his coffee, he checked his phone and noticed Blaine’s texts, and he felt guilty for neglecting him once again.

He sent back a few texts of his own, explaining why he hadn’t been able to Skype, apologising and promising not to let it happen again. He also asked what Rachel had wanted from Blaine, because he was getting more curious about that by the minute.

Blaine’s answer came a quarter of an hour later and made Kurt smile. He’d be playing Prince Charming at the birthday party.

_Wow, I want to see Blaine in his costume!_

He said as much to Blaine, but didn’t receive a reply. Blaine had probably left for school. Time for Kurt to get to work as well!

At noon, Rachel came bustling in. “Have you heard from Blaine?” she asked point blank.

“Hey Rachel,” said Kurt. “I heard he’s helping you with that birthday party, yes.”

“No, no,” clarified Rachel, “I mean, has he sent you a picture of his costume yet?”

Kurt shook his head, bemused.

“He promised me so faithfully he’d send me a picture, and now it’s noon already, and I haven’t received it yet,” Rachel ranted on.

“Well, he has a job, you know,” reasoned Kurt. “He’ll probably send it to you during his lunch break.”

As if on cue, two phones beeped, and there it was, a photograph of Blaine looking every inch a prince.

_Wow, doesn’t he just look like a dream come true!_

Kurt saved the picture, set it as his background and then stared at it some more.

Rachel giggled. “You should see your face right now. Smitten is too mild a word for it!”

Kurt blushed and shrugged, letting out a happy sigh. “Look at him, Rachel. Just look at him! Isn’t he dreamy?”

Rachel looked at the picture critically. “He certainly looks like a prince, so I’m okaying the costume.”

She turned to Kurt and gave him a shrewd look. “I bet you’d give anything to see him in that costume, wouldn’t you?”

“I would …” admitted Kurt with another, deeper sigh.

“I thought so,” nodded Rachel. “Well, that’s settled then, you’re coming to the birthday party with me. You’re far better than me at braiding hair and doing fashion shows and decorating cupcakes anyway. And I have the perfect costume for you, since Blaine has found his own and won’t be needing it.”

She brandished a garment bag and zipped it open, revealing a white tailed coat with black and gold detailing, an electric blue waistcoat, a purple cravat and navy pants.

“I haven’t been able to find the boots that are supposed to go with it,” frowned Rachel, “but I hoped you’d have something that might go with this costume.”

“That cravat will clash with Blaine’s outfit,” commented Kurt. “I’ll swap it for one of my own. I’m sure I have a bottle green one somewhere. You’re lucky that I have a fabulous wardrobe and shoe collection and know exactly what accessories and boots to combine with this. Come with me.”

They soon found the right boots for the costume, and the cravat Kurt had mentioned, and Kurt tried on the costume and slowly twirled around so that Rachel could see it from all sides.

She pronounced herself satisfied, and said conspiratorially: “Let’s keep it a secret that you will be at the party, too. I really want to see Blaine’s face when he sees you in this outfit.”

Kurt smiled in agreement. That was a good idea.

He changed back into his regular clothes, and took two portions of pumpkin soup out of the freezer. While the soup was warming up, he made grilled cheese sandwiches for the both of them, and they continued to discuss their plans for Wednesday.

Kurt would help Rachel until Blaine arrived, and then he’d hide until Blaine had finished telling his story. After the story, Kurt would make his grand entrance and surprise Blaine. Kurt imagined how happy Blaine would be to see him, and hoped he’d be as captivated as Kurt had been when Blaine’s Prince Charming picture arrived. He hugged himself in glee.

_Prince Blaine, I will sweep you off your feet!_


	56. Princess Party

““ _Oh my gosh,” she said. “Jean, you look like a princess!”_

 _“Really?” I tugged nervously on my dress, staring at my reflection in the full-length mirror on my bathroom door._ ” (Meg Cabot, _Jinx_ )

Kurt stopped working at 6 PM, made himself a quick dinner and then installed himself behind his laptop. He logged in on Skype, so that Blaine could call him whenever he liked, and then surfed to the quilters’ forums again. He sifted through the private messages he’d received. All of them showed pictures of fabrics that resembled the fabric of his choice, but never exactly the same. The last and most recent message had no picture attachment, though.

From: [susankeller@hotmail.com](mailto:susankeller@hotmail.com)

To: [kurthummel@kehfashion.com](mailto:kurthummel@kehfashion.com)

Dear Mr. Hummel,

I take it you are the same Kurt Hummel who saved my daughter’s wedding dress, thereby earning my eternal gratitude?

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find the fabric you are looking for in my extensive collection of fat quarters.

However, I am the president of the national quilting guild, and I’ll gladly pull some strings for you. I have sent the picture, description and order number of the fabric you want to every quilting guild in the country, and told the local guild presidents to put it on the agenda of their meetings this week. So if any of our members have your fabric, you’ll hear from me by Sunday at the latest.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you!

Yours sincerely,

Susan Keller

_Wow. Just, wow. I knew the Kellers were an influential family, but this … Well, I’m glad I agreed to redesign Naomi’s wedding dress. Susan Keller is definitely a force to be reckoned with, and I’m so glad to have her on my side._

From: [kurthummel@kehfashion.com](mailto:kurthummel@kehfashion.com)

To: [susankeller@hotmail.com](mailto:susankeller@hotmail.com)

Dear Mrs. Keller,

Yes, I am that Kurt Hummel, one and the same.

Thank you SO much for helping me out with this. I need the fabric for an outfit I’ve designed. It’s just for a colour accent, so even a small piece would help.

I look forward to hearing from you later this week, and I hope you’ll have good news for me.

Yours sincerely,

Kurt Hummel

Beaming, Kurt closed the browser window and clicked on the Skype application. Would Blaine be online already? He tried calling him, and the brilliance of his smile kicked up a notch when Blaine answered the call immediately.

“Hello, my handsome prince,” smiled Kurt.

Blaine blushed handsomely and whispered “Hey gorgeous”.

Kurt apologised again for not Skyping with Blaine the day before, promising that he’d never again answer his phone after 6 PM if it was an unknown number who called.

Blaine just brushed it off, saying that he understood. He sounded a bit sad, though, and that made Kurt more determined than ever not to let Blaine down again.

So Kurt got Blaine to talk about the upcoming birthday party, and was rewarded by seeing Blaine’s face light up. Blaine told Kurt he’d be telling a story and then singing a few Disney songs. He had several stories in mind that would work, and he quickly ran through them and then asked for Kurt’s opinion. Kurt chose the story that spoke most to him, though it might be considered controversial by some, and internally squealed at how perfect it would be for Kurt to swoop in and surprise his boyfriend.

“That’s the story I like best, too,” grinned Blaine. “Okay, it’s decided then!”

“I’m sure the children will love it,” smiled Kurt.

“What Disney songs would I pick?” asked Blaine. “I like ‘Part of your world’ from the Little Mermaid, and then I thought maybe I’d sing ‘Belle’ from Beauty and the Beast, and I’d really like to do ‘A Whole New World’ from Aladdin, too, only that’s a duet. Would Rachel agree to sing the princess part, do you think? Would she know the lyrics?”

“I think she’d be delighted,” answered Kurt. “And I’m sure she knows the lyrics. I’ve heard her sing it to Sarah and Toby as a bedtime song.”

_But if you really think I’d let Rachel sing it with you, you’ve got another think coming … I’ll be there and I’ll be your Princess Jasmine, so there!_

“Should I call and ask her, or would it be okay if I asked her tomorrow at the party?” hesitated Blaine.

“She’s very used to impromptu performances,” said Kurt, “so don’t worry about it and just ask her to sing the duet with you when you’re ready to sing it.”

“Won’t she be angry?”

“No,” Kurt reassured Blaine. “She’ll be thrilled that she gets to sing.”

_Only she won’t. I want to sing the princess song with you, and Rachel owes me about a thousand favours, plus she’s a true romantic, so she’ll let me._

“I’ll ask her tomorrow then,” decided Blaine. “I’m so looking forward to it all!”

“Well, break a leg tomorrow,” said Kurt playfully, “and remember that you’re MY prince, sweetheart, however many beautiful princesses you encounter tomorrow.”

“As if I’d forget,” grinned Blaine, “and as if anyone could hold a candle to you!”

That confident statement and the heart eyes that accompanied it, obvious even in the slightly blurry picture the computer screen provided, made Kurt’s heart soar and his cheeks heat up.

“Good night, sweetie,” purred Kurt.

“Sweet dreams,” answered Blaine, with a heart-melting smile.

Kurt shut down his laptop and skipped to the bathroom to get ready for bed, humming “That’s How You Know” from Enchanted.

K&B

“Could you help Finn carry the treasure chest with dress-up clothes into the house, please?” pleaded Rachel. “I picked this chest because it looked so medieval and royal, but I hadn’t counted on it being so heavy.”

Kurt rolled his eyes, but nodded at his brother. “One, two, three!” At “three”, they both heaved the chest and grunted when the full weight of it hit them.

_Rachel’s right. This chest weighs a ton. Well, I guess Rachel’s lucky that her hubby and brother-in-law are in such fine shape._

Finn and Kurt managed to get the chest into the house, where Leah led them to a huge and very pink playroom where the party was going to take place. Two identical cute little redheads jumped up and down in excitement when they saw the treasure chest coming in. They were dressed in pale pink dresses and had hot pink paper crowns on their heads that clashed horribly with their hair.

_Having pink as your favourite colour seems to run in the Keller family …_

Kurt doubled back to the car for the trays of cupcakes they’d made that morning and deposited them on the table in the playroom. Rachel took the bulky bag filled with tiaras, costume jewellery and hair accessories and a smaller bag with cupcake decorating supplies.

“Well, I guess that’s everything then,” remarked Rachel.

She turned to Finn and said: “Please don’t forget to pick up Toby and Sarah, and give them a nutritious afternoon snack. No candy. Make sure they eat fruit. I’ve stocked up the fruit bowl, so there’s plenty of everything. For supper, there’s still some soup in the fridge. Heat it up and give them cheese sandwiches with it. I should be home for bath and bed time.”

Finn nodded. “Okay.”

They kissed lingeringly. Usually, that would have Kurt tapping his foot impatiently, but now he was so buoyed at the thought of seeing Blaine again, in a prince costume no less, hearing him tell a story and sing and then maybe stealing some kisses of his own, that he didn’t so much as blink at the blatant display of affection.

Finn drove off in his police vehicle, and Rachel locked her car and led the way into the house.

Leah shook their hand and thanked them for coming. She explained where they could find wet wipes for the children’s hands and faces after the cupcake decorating and eating and anxiously asked if the cupcakes or frosting had strawberry or peanut or walnut in it, because one of the invited children was allergic to those three foodstuffs.

Rachel reassured her on that point and tried her hardest to put Leah at ease, since she seemed incredibly nervous.

Kurt reiterated the whole programme for the afternoon for Leah’s benefit, and her twins squealed in delight at the mention of cupcakes, dress-up and hair-braiding. When Kurt described what Blaine would be doing later, Leah looked baffled.

“I thought you WERE Blaine. You’re dressed as a prince, aren’t you?”

Kurt blushed. “Yes, I am, but I’m not Blaine. I’m Kurt Hummel, and I’m here to help Rachel and to surprise Blaine, who is my boyfriend.”

Leah frowned slightly.

_Oh no. Oh no! She’s not homophobic, is she?_

But then Leah’s eyes lit up and she exclaimed: “You’re the designer! The one who redid Naomi’s dress!”

Kurt let out a tiny sigh of relief and admitted to being the one and only Kurt Hummel.

“That’s why your name sounds so familiar. Oh, my mom won’t shut up about you these days!” declared Leah. “Though she’s right, those dresses were both stunning. I was so jealous! Did you make this costume yourself, too?”

Kurt smiled at her, pleased with the compliment, but denied having made the prince costume.

Then the doorbell rang, and droves of little girls started coming in.

The afternoon passed in a blur, Kurt flitting from one girl to another and calming them down when they started to fight with one another or cried or threw a tantrum.

First, he helped them pipe frosting onto their cupcake, dust it with edible glitter or cover it in coloured sprinkles. After all the cakes had been devoured, they opened the treasure chest and Kurt gave each of them fashion advice as to what would suit their complexion best and what accessories would complete the look. They didn’t always agree with him, though. Some of the girls disregarded his advice and just picked whatever they liked, making Kurt wince at the loud and clashing colours of their dress and accessories.

When they had all decided on their princess outfit, they took turns strutting on a makeshift catwalk to parade their finery, and having their hair braided or curled or swept up in a knot by Rachel or Kurt. Kurt took pictures with Rachel’s Polaroid camera and handed each girl her princess portrait as a memento.

Then the doorbell was heard again, and Rachel hissed to Kurt: “That’s Blaine! Quick, hide!”

Kurt ran to hide in a wooden play house in the playroom, and Leah and the children giggled.

Blaine came in and all the girls said “Oooooh …” in unison. Kurt stifled a snicker.

_No-one is immune for Prince Blaine’s charms …_


	57. What A Wonderful Prince!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story Blaine tells in this chapter is based on the children's story "King & King", by Linda De Haan and Stern Nijland.

“ _The ring slipped on with the utmost ease, and, as it did so, the skin fell to the ground, disclosing a figure of such beauty that the prince, weak as he was, fell on his knees before her, while the king and queen joined their prayers to his._ ” (Charles Perrault, _Peau d’Âne - The Donkey Skin Girl_ )

Blaine got out of his car and looked at the house approvingly. It was situated in one of the more affluent neighbourhoods of Westerville, but it was more modern and less ostentatious than his childhood home. The garden, too, didn’t look perfectly manicured. It looked welcoming and child-friendly, with a play house, a swing set, a slide, and even a trampoline.

He rang the bell, and a beautiful redhead opened the door for him and ushered him in.

_Yes, she does look like Naomi’s sister. Less pep, though. She seems very nervous, too. What was her name again?_

“Good afternoon, ma’am, I’m Blaine,” Blaine introduced himself.

“Hello, Blaine, please call me Leah.”

_Oh, right. Leah. That was it._

“Come on through,” continued Leah, “the children are very excited to see you.”

And that was certainly true. They all oohed and aahed as soon as Blaine came in, their eyes shining like stars.

“Good afternoon, my fair princesses!” Blaine greeted the girls, sweeping them a low bow that made a lot of them giggle.

One of the girls frowned, though. “I’m not fair. I have red hair!”

“Yes, you do,” smiled Blaine, “and it’s so beautiful. And that’s what I meant with ‘fair’, you know. It doesn’t just mean ‘blonde’, it can also mean ‘pretty’ or ‘beautiful’, and that’s what I meant to say. You all look stunning in your princess dresses.”

The girl beamed at him, clearly appeased. “We’re all princesses today because it’s my birthday.”

“My birthday!” yelled the girl next to her.

“Don’t quarrel, now, girls,” Leah intervened quickly.

“So we have two birthday girls today?” asked Blaine. “You look very much alike. Who’s who?”

The girl who’d spoken first piped up again. “I’m Clara, and she’s Hannah.”

“I’m Hannah,” parroted her sister. “Are you a real prince?”

Blaine laughed. “No, I’m sorry, but I’m not. I just dressed up as a prince today to fit in with you lovely ladies. And I’m very excited about it, too. I’ve always wanted to be a prince for a day. It feels wonderful.”

“I like being a princess, too,” Hannah admitted shyly.

“So ... Are you ready to hear a story?” Blaine asked.

“Yes!” the girls all shouted.

Blaine sat down on the floor. “Come sit around me, please.”

With a little help from Leah and Rachel, the girls arranged themselves in a half-circle around Blaine and looked at him expectantly.

“ _The story I’m going to tell you today is about a prince called Blaine, who lived in a big castle on the top of a hill. His dad died when he was little, so there was just his mom left. She was the queen and ruled the country. She never remarried, and while she might have felt lonely sometimes, she never complained._

_Though her job kept her very busy, she always made time for Prince Blaine._

_She played hide-and-seek with him and the cook’s daughter in the many rooms of the castle._

_She played tag with Prince Blaine and the gardener’s son._

_When the prince grew older, she took him along on visits to other countries and she asked his advice on how to fix problems in their own country. And she really listened to him, and took his counsel to heart. That made Prince Blaine very proud._

_And then, one day, the Queen said to her son: “Blaine, sweetie, I think you’re ready to be king. You’re twenty-five years old now, and you’ve learned so much in that time. Not to mention that you are kind, compassionate, resourceful and clever. You’ll do very well leading this country. And I’m tired of being queen. I want to retire and spend all day reading books and baking cakes and watching bad reality TV.”_

_Prince Blaine was a bit taken aback at first. Really? His mom no longer wanted to be queen? She trusted him to become king? Did he really want to be king? Was his mom right and would he do a stellar job or would he mess everything up?_

_He thought about it and grew more and more enthusiastic about the idea. There was so much he wanted to do and try._

_“Okay,” he said to the Queen. “All right then, I’ll become king.”_

_The Queen tutted. “Not so fast! You need to get married first. I’ve ruled the country alone all these years, and that’s far from ideal. It’s always better to work as a team. Find yourself a sensible and intelligent wife, who’ll help you rule. I’ll invite all the eligible princesses here. You can meet one at a time, so that you can really get to know them.”_

_“But mom …” protested Prince Blaine._

_“Yes, sweetie, what is it?” asked the Queen._

_“I’ve never cared much for princesses,” admitted Prince Blaine with a pout._

_“Well, you haven’t met more than a handful of them so far,” smiled the Queen. “There are hundreds. I’ll invite them immediately.”_

_And so one princess after another came to visit, and it was a very exciting time for everyone at the castle, because it turned out that princesses were always very accomplished. They could do all sorts of special stuff._

_A princess from Austria sang opera, and she did that so loudly and reached such high notes that she broke all the glass in the castle. That was … interesting, but it was also a costly affair._

_Another princess came from Texas and was a magician and acrobat and juggler all rolled into one. Prince Blaine looked on wide-eyed as she did her tricks, and clapped hard afterwards._

_Every princess was wonderful in her own way, but each time the Queen asked Prince Blaine if this was The One, he shook his head sadly._

_His page fell in love with the beautiful princess from Greenland, but Prince Blaine’s heart was not touched by any of the princesses._

_But then Princess Rachel came for a visit, and she brought her brother Kurt._ ”

Blaine was snapped out of his story there by the children giggling and pointing.

And there, as if by magic, Rachel strode towards Blaine in a beautiful princess dress, arm in arm with Kurt, who looked positively stunning in his prince costume.

_How did Kurt suddenly get here? Oh, my story, I need to go on telling my story … Wait … I think I’ll just act out the meeting with Kurt and then slip back into storyteller mode. Yes. He knows how the story goes … Oh, this is just PERFECT!_

[So Blaine met Kurt halfway, took Kurt’s hands in his and exclaimed: “What a wonderful prince!”](http://41.media.tumblr.com/d652268be37332e5a17aa00e86f946b9/tumblr_nsappj37pF1slon9uo1_500.jpg)

Kurt echoed that, and they stood [gazing into each other’s eyes for a moment](http://img08.deviantart.net/4d6f/i/2010/342/3/2/klaine__disney_princes_by_muchacha10-d34iify.jpg).

Then Blaine continued his story.

“ _Prince Blaine immediately turned to the Queen and said: “[This is The One. I want to marry him.”](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/4f/22/9f/4f229f88d99db1e6c7a3ba064da64f1b.jpg)_

_The Queen was happy that her son had made his choice at last, and started to prepare the wedding at once._

_Prince Blaine and Prince Kurt got married on a beautiful summer day, in a huge white marquee on the big lawn in front of the castle. All the rejected princesses attended the wedding and cried delicately into their fine lace handkerchiefs because the vows were so touching and the grooms so stunning and so much in love._

_The Queen declared them King and King, and wished them good luck ruling the country. Smiling happily, she installed herself in a lawn chair in the garden with a fat book and a glass of lemonade. Before she turned to the first page, though, she peeked at her son and his husband, and her smile grew even larger when she saw that[they were kissing](http://41.media.tumblr.com/c4c64af85007d7872e88869fd23deaff/tumblr_njsj32F3Gm1s6q91uo1_500.png), their eyes closed and their hands entwined._

_“Ah, life is good,” said the Queen._

_And it certainly was. King Blaine and King Kurt ruled wisely and fabulously, and they all lived happily ever after._ ”

Rachel applauded, and Leah and the children copied her. Blaine smiled at Kurt and squeezed his hands.

And then Blaine’s happy bubble burst when an angry voice screeched: “What on earth is going on here? Seriously, Leah, you’re letting two gays infect our daughters’ minds? I knew I should never have agreed to let Annabelle come to this birthday party! Last year’s party was a disaster, so I advised you to hire a party planner this time, but apparently, I can’t even trust you to pick a suitable party planner! Annabelle, come here this instant. We’re LEAVING!”

Shocked, Blaine dropped Kurt’s hands and wheeled around. An angry redhead stood in the doorway. She had her hands on her hips, her eyes were blazing and her lips were set in a thin line. Blaine remembered having seen the woman at the wedding. She had been angry then, too.

Before she could start another tirade, however, an elegantly dressed older woman appeared behind her. Blaine recognised her as Naomi’s mother, Susan Keller. She put her hand on the younger woman’s arm and looked at her sternly. “That’s enough, Ruth. Behave yourself!”

She did not raise her voice, but her authority rang through in every syllable. “I’m very disappointed in you. We did not raise you to become a narrow-minded bigot who thinks herself far superior to everyone else and who fears and avoids everything that’s slightly different. We don’t live in the nineteenth century anymore, Ruth. There’s nothing wrong with two men who love each other. If you want to wax indignant about something, I suggest you take your gardener to task. His drinking problem is getting steadily worse and he’s been mistreating his wife, and I suspect even his children.”

Ruth gaped at her mother. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish, but no sound came out of it. Then she stomped to her daughter, grabbed her hand and stalked out, tugging Annabelle along with her.

Susan watched her go with a displeased expression on her face and then walked up to Blaine. “I’d like to apologise for my daughter’s behaviour. I’m very ashamed of her outburst. I really don’t know how Ruth turned out like this. My husband and I and our family at large are very open-minded and liberal, so she has never been taught this type of behaviour while she lived under our roof. Neither of her sisters is like that.”

Blaine swallowed thickly. “It’s okay. It’s nothing we haven’t heard before. I’m sorry for causing strife in your family.”

Susan’s expression softened. “You didn’t do anything wrong, I assure you. Don’t worry about it, please.”

Blaine sent her a watery but grateful smile. He still felt very off-balance and his skin hadn’t stopped crawling at Ruth’s ugly outburst in front of so many impressionable children. He’d feel horrible if those little girls shied away from him in horror from now on, just because he happened to love Kurt.

Susan looked at all the glum faces in the room, and said cheerfully: “Well, wasn’t music the next thing on the programme? I can’t wait to hear you all sing!”

And just like that, the incident seemed forgotten. All the children cheered madly and request children’s songs. Relieved, Blaine flashed them a smile and ran through his repertoire, from “Itsy Bitsy Spider” to “Row Your Boat”. The children loudly sang along.

After that, he asked: “Do you want to hear some princess songs as well?”

The “Yes” that followed was deafening. He sang “Part of Your World” and “Belle” for them, and accompanied Rachel on his guitar while she sang “Let It Go”.

And then he announced the last song: “To finish things off, I’d like to sing “A Whole New World”. But that’s a song for two people.”

[He turned to Kurt and went down on one knee, looking up at him beseechingly](http://orig13.deviantart.net/bac8/f/2013/241/9/d/disney_princes_by_riverance-d6k6rqk.jpg). “So my dearest Prince Kurt, would you do me the honour of singing this song with me?”

Kurt’s eyes were huge, and it looked as though he was torn between giggling and crying. He nodded frantically.

“I’ll even let you be Princess Jasmine,” winked Blaine, and everyone laughed and clapped in glee.

They sang together, and it sounded glorious. Afterwards, they just stared into each other’s eyes and grinned giddily, still coming down from their high.

“Well, that wraps up the entertainment part of this party,” announced Rachel. “Time for birthday cake and sandwiches!”

“Yay!” yelled the children, and they gravitated towards the big table in the middle of the room.

There were two birthday cakes, one for each twin. Rachel set to lighting the candles on both cakes. Leah positioned herself to take pictures of Clara and Hannah blowing out the candles, but Kurt shook his head and made her hand over the camera to him. “Go pose with your daughters!”

So Leah crouched between her daughters and helped them blow out the candles. Then she let them help cut the cakes into pieces and hand everyone a piece. There was more than enough to go around, so five minutes later, even Blaine was nibbling at a piece of very pink cake on a Disney Princess paper plate, and slowly feeling his world tilt right again. None of the children seemed scared of him or evaded him, so perhaps Ruth hadn’t done any damage with her hurtful words.

Kurt gave him a look that was both loving and worried, and put his plate on the table to come hug Blaine from behind. “Are you okay?”

Blaine looked into Kurt’s luminous eyes, brimming with concern and tenderness, and his heart swelled with emotion. “Better than okay. So glad you’re here, love.”

He put his hand over Kurt’s, right over his heart, and entwined their fingers.

_I don’t care what people say. This is love. Nothing has ever felt so right._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lovely Klaine Princes drawings are by Riverance, Muchacha, Riverance, Candycanaries and Riverance :-) What can I say? I LOVE Klaine Princes drawings :-) *Happy sigh*


	58. Relocating?

“ _Before his marriage, Hugh had liked to stand so and look at his house when he came home, dreaming a young man's dreams. He imagined coming home to Joscelyn; he would stand awhile before going in, looking up at all its windows whence warm golden lights would be gleaming over winter snows or summer gardens or lovely, pale, clear autumn dusks. He would think of the significance of each window--the dining-room, where his supper would be laid, the kitchen, where Joscelyn was waiting for him, perhaps a dimly-lighted window upstairs in a room where small creatures slept. "SHE is the light of my house," he would think._ ” (Lucy Maud Montgomery, _A Tangled Web_ )

Kurt and Blaine helped Rachel clean up after the party and carried the treasure chest back to her car. Rachel followed with the rest of her supplies.

“Well, I’m off to Lima,” announced Rachel. “Are you coming with me, Kurt, or is Blaine taking you home later?”

Kurt looked at Blaine and bit his bottom lip.

“He’s coming with me,” decided Blaine.

_I’m not ready to part with you again so soon._

Rachel smirked. “I thought so. You know, Kurt, maybe you should think about relocating to Westerville.”

Kurt quirked an eyebrow at her but said nothing.

“It would make sense,” continued Rachel. “Most of your high-end customers live here. If you had a shop closer by, they probably wouldn’t wait for special occasions to order a new costume. They’d be in and out of your shop all the time, and they’d send their friends and family too. Plus think of the cool runway shows you could do around here to draw attention to your spring or fall line. Lima wouldn’t appreciate that sort of event, but Westerville might.”

Kurt tilted his head to the side and pursed his lips, but still said nothing.

Rachel got into her car, shouted “Bye boys! Thanks for all your help!” and sped off with a wave.

Kurt blankly stared after her, deep in thought.

Blaine cleared his throat.

No reaction.

“So … Shall we get going then?” asked Blaine, taking Kurt’s hand.

Kurt snapped out of his reverie. “Hmm … What?”

“Let’s get in the car and go home,” suggested Blaine. “I’m freezing out here. This prince gear is beautiful but not exactly warm.”

“True,” answered Kurt.

He turned to Blaine and looked him up and down appreciatively, letting out a little sigh. “You look amazing in it, though. My dream prince.”

“And you’re mine, and you look absolutely stunning,” smiled Blaine, pecking Kurt on the lips. “Seriously, though, get in the car before we both turn blue.”

Once they were in the car, Blaine asked: “Where to?”

“Your place, please,” replied Kurt. “If you don’t mind lending me a pair of pyjamas tonight.”

Blaine grinned. “Not at all. You’re welcome to go through my wardrobe and pick out whatever you like, no doubt judging my clothing choices over and over again in the process.”

Kurt’s cheeks went pink. He bit his lip and admitted in a small voice: “Probably, yes.”

Blaine caught Kurt’s hand and squeezed it. “Hey, I don’t mind in the least, honey. You’re a fashion expert, it’s in your blood. I can only hope some of your fabulousness will rub off on me by association.”

Kurt flipped his hand over, palm up, and entwined their fingers, a tiny smile on his lips.

Blaine put some music on and drove back to his apartment.

Kurt was silent the whole drive, his thoughts clearly miles away. He gave a start when Blaine, after parking the car, gallantly opened Kurt’s passenger door. He must not have noticed that they had arrived.

“Sorry,” Kurt whispered, and he hastened to get out of the car.

“That’s all right,” smiled Blaine. “Penny for your thoughts?”

Blaine opened the door of his apartment building and they climbed the stairs to Blaine’s apartment.

“I was thinking about what Rachel said,” admitted Kurt.

“I see,” mused Blaine. “Care to elaborate?”

Kurt sighed. “I’ve considered it before, you know. Opening a shop here instead of in the backwater that is Lima. New York would have been my first choice, obviously, but I didn’t want to be too far away from my dad. So Westerville or Columbus seemed a nice compromise. But then my father told me that Lima’s tailor was retiring and selling his shop and house. And I thought, well, why not check it out, and I fell in love with the property. It was so perfect. Beautiful hardwood floors, natural light streaming in everywhere, crown mouldings, it had everything. And it was so well preserved. So I bought it on the spot, and until recently, I’ve never regretted that decision. Yes, I have customers that gripe about having to drive all the way to Lima for their fittings, but I’ve never paid much heed to that. If they want a Kurt Hummel original, they have to make some effort for it. My clothes are worth a few two-hour drives.”

“Of course they are,” beamed Blaine.

They reached Blaine’s apartment and went in.

“Until recently, you say,” prodded Blaine, helping Kurt out of his coat.

“Well … Now that I’ve met you, I want to spend time with you, you know. Every day. I miss you when you’re not around. The Skyping helps a bit, but it’s not the same as getting to hug you and kiss you and cuddle with you. So I get increasingly frustrated at you living so far away from me.”

Blaine nodded. “Same here.”

“So I believe Rachel’s suggestion has merit, and I might contact a few realtors here in Westerville to see what they have on offer,” Kurt continued.

“Well, my home is always open to you whenever you’re coming to Westerville to check out properties,” promised Blaine.

“Thank you, sweetie,” smiled Kurt.

“I love having you over,” sighed Blaine ecstatically, wrapping his arms around Kurt and burying his nose in Kurt’s neck.

_Your skin is so soft and your smell is so intoxicating._

“I love being with you, wherever we are,” breathed Kurt, hugging him tightly.

“It was a wonderful surprise to see you at the birthday party,” remarked Blaine. “For a moment there, I thought I was dreaming.”

Kurt giggled. “Rachel and I came up with the plan to surprise you because Rachel had a prince costume for me anyway, and because I was dying to see you as Prince Charming in real life.”

Kurt sighed, a faraway look in his eyes. “And what a sight it was.”

Blaine chuckled. “Still here.”

Kurt smiled blissfully, framed Blaine’s face with his hands and kissed him tenderly. “I know.”

Blaine manoeuvred them towards the sofa and fell onto it, pulling Kurt on his lap. “I don’t know about you, but I’m dead beat. I don’t have the energy to cook. Can we just order in tonight?”

“Absolutely,” agreed Kurt. “I had a lovely time this afternoon, but those girls really wore me out.”

They ordered pizza and ate on the sofa, drowsily watching a made-for-TV movie and cuddling, Kurt’s legs over Blaine’s, Blaine’s arm around Kurt’s waist and their lips everywhere they could comfortably reach.

When Blaine’s eyes started drooping shut and Kurt began to yawn uncontrollably, Blaine asked: “Time for bed?”

“Time for bed,” confirmed Kurt.

Hand in hand, they went to the bathroom. Robotically, they went through the motions of brushing their teeth and then they gravitated towards Blaine’s bed, taking off their costumes. Blaine handed Kurt a pair of pyjamas and put on his own, then got into bed and opened his arms in invitation. Kurt crawled in too, snuggling up to Blaine, and in mere minutes, they were both out like a light.


	59. Ire and Indecision

“ _Sara not only could tell stories, but she adored telling them. When she sat or stood in the midst of a circle and began to invent wonderful things, her green eyes grew big and shining, her cheeks flushed, and, without knowing that she was doing it, she began to act, and made what she told lovely or alarming by the raising or dropping of her voice, the bend or sway of her slim body, and the dramatic movement of her hands._ ” (Frances Hodgson Burnett, _A Little Princess_ )

It was lovely to see Blaine interact with the children. Rachel was right, he WAS a natural. He knew just what to say to them, and he knew just what to do to put them at ease and deflect any quarrel.

Before long, the girls all sat spellbound, listening to Blaine’s story. Kurt had to remind himself to pay attention, yes, but not to get swept away by the storytelling, since he and Rachel were planning on surprising Blaine.

When Blaine started describing the visiting princesses, Kurt crept out of the playhouse and motioned for Rachel to come join him.

Rachel put her arm through his, and together they stepped out from behind the playhouse and walked up to Blaine.

The girls noticed them first, and started tittering and pointing.

Their disturbance made Blaine look up, too, and when he saw Kurt, his face was priceless. His mouth fell open and his eyes nearly popped out.

Then Blaine’s face lit up beautifully, joy radiating from him. He pulled himself together, got up and met Kurt halfway. He took Kurt’s hands in his and exclaimed: “What a wonderful prince!”

Kurt remembered the line from the story, and repeated it after Blaine, basking in the admiring look Blaine gave him.

_Hello there, my Prince Charming. You look absolutely breath-taking._

Then Blaine continued his story, his voice a bit huskier and more emotional, and his eyes never leaving Kurt’s.

When he got to the description of the married couple kissing, Blaine had this glint in his eyes that showed Kurt how much Blaine wanted to act that out right there and then as well. He didn’t, though.

Rachel clapped hard after the story, and everyone else joined in the applause.

Kurt’s good mood deflated instantly, however, when the same angry sister that had chewed Rachel out at Naomi’s wedding for trying to fix things after the Ian incident went on a furious homophobic diatribe.

Kurt saw Blaine crumble before his very eyes. His boyfriend seemed shocked to his very core. Blaine’s smile was instantly wiped off his face and his wide eyes seemed child-like in their bewilderment and anguish. A moment later, Kurt saw Blaine’s expression shift to guilt, and the anger Kurt had felt towards the woman increased a thousand-fold. The undiluted rage now thrumming through his veins made him want to tear her apart with words so vicious that each one would leave an indelible scar.

Before he could so much as open his mouth, though, Susan Keller appeared and chided her daughter Ruth in no uncertain terms. With each word she said, his regard for Naomi’s mother increased.

_She’s a formidable enemy and an exceptional ally. I wish there were more people like Susan Keller, and less like her daughter and Blaine’s dad._

Susan made Ruth hightail out of the room with smoke coming out of her ears and dragging her child along with her. Kurt felt sorry for little Annabelle, though the girl was hardly an angel herself. She had instigated half a dozen quarrels that afternoon and had seriously tried Kurt’s patience by ignoring every clothing suggestion he made.

_Well, I guess we know who she got the bratty gene from …_

Susan, in the meantime, had walked up to Blaine and was apologising for what Ruth had said and assuring Blaine that he hadn’t done anything wrong.

However much Kurt loved her for trying, Susan failed to cheer Blaine up with her kind words. Blaine gave her a smile, but it was tentative at best, and didn’t reach his eyes, which still reflected hurt and anxiety. So Susan changed her tack and addressed the whole room, declaring herself eager to hear everyone sing.

That seemed a better approach. The children all cheered and started listing the songs they wanted to sing. A genuine smile bloomed on Blaine’s face, and he reached for his guitar to sing with them, his flair and charm and confidence kicking up a notch with every song they belted out with him.

Susan sought out Kurt and apologised to him as well. Kurt brushed it off. He, after all, was used to insults and abuse way worse than Ruth’s indignant speech.

Susan told him she had no news of the fabric he wanted just yet, but that most quilting circles had their meetings on Friday or Saturday evenings. Kurt thanked her for going to so much effort for him, but she scoffed and said that it was nothing, really, and that she was glad she could help.

“I hear you’re designing Adrienne’s wedding dress now, too,” Susan remarked. “Perhaps I should give you a few pointers on how to get a word in edgeways and how to shut her up effectively but politely.”

Kurt threw his head back and laughed. “Yes please,” he finally choked out between giggles. “That would be really helpful.”

When Kurt tuned back in to Blaine’s singing, he heard that Blaine had segued into Disney songs, and he waited with bated breath for “A Whole New World”. Would Blaine sing it? Would he want to sing it with Kurt or would he be too afraid of rocking the boat?

But Blaine seemed to have regained his courage and did ask Kurt to duet with him, even kneeling on one knee in front of him, for all the world as if it were a proposal. That was both so hysterical and so moving that Kurt couldn’t even get the word “Yes!” out and settled for nodding instead.

“I’ll even let you be Princess Jasmine,” Blaine added with a playful wink.

_Ha! As if that were up for discussion …_

Blaine crooned his Aladdin lines beautifully, his voice smooth and sweet like caramel and his face intent and rapt. Kurt let himself be swept away by Blaine’s enthusiasm, swooning at how perfect they sounded together. After the song had ended, Kurt just kept gazing into Blaine’s eyes in wonder and in awe.

_You’re everything I’ve ever dreamt of and more. I can’t believe you’re mine._

Kurt came back to reality with a start when Rachel announced that it was time for cake and all the girls yelled their approval.

Leah crouched in front of Hannah and Clara with a camera, ready to take pictures of them blowing out the candles on their cakes, but Kurt intercepted her and told her sternly to leave the photographing to him and to go pose with her daughters, which she did gratefully.

Once the cakes were cut and everyone was silently enjoying their piece, Kurt looked at Blaine, munching his cake slowly, hunched up and still looking rather apprehensive.

Kurt went to Blaine and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend protectively. “Are you okay?”

Blaine gave him a crooked smile and a blazing look. “Better than okay. So glad you’re here, love.”

K&B

The parents of the invitees started trickling in while their daughters were eating cake and sandwiches, and before long, only the birthday girls were left. They still were in very good spirits and helped put the dress-up clothes back into the treasure chest, while the grown-ups cleaned up the playroom.

Leah thanked Rachel for the successful party and handed her a cheque. She thanked Kurt and Blaine as well, telling them they’d been outstanding and that she’d love to have them back next year.

And then they were loading all the party supplies back into Rachel’s car, and Rachel wanted to know if Kurt was coming back to Lima with her or staying with Blaine.

_Right. Should have thought about that earlier. I didn’t even bring an overnight bag. And, well, I know what I want, but it’s Blaine’s apartment, so it’s up to him to invite me to stay over, right?_

Kurt looked at Blaine questioningly, and Blaine quickly responded that Kurt would be staying with him.

_Glad to know we’re on the same page._

Rachel smirked knowingly and advised Kurt to hurry up and move to Westerville already, listing all the reasons why that would be a capital idea.

She didn’t wait for Kurt to formulate a response, but revved her car and sped off to Lima while Kurt’s head was still whirling.

He’d be lying if he said the thought had never crossed his mind. Before he’d bought the house and shop in Lima, he’d considered Columbus or Westerville, because a bigger city would bring in more clientele and would be more open to avant-garde clothing. And since he’d met Blaine, he had been toying with the idea of looking for a property in Westerville. He had enough money to buy one, and commercially, it would be a smart move. Most of his customers were based in Westerville and Columbus, and some disliked having to come to Lima for fittings.

Blaine squeezed his hand insistently, and Kurt looked up. Evidently, Blaine was expecting an answer to a question Kurt hadn’t heard, so he made Blaine repeat it.

_Oh … Yes … Car … Yes, this costume isn’t warm. You look so gorgeous in it, though._

Before Kurt could drift off into a daydream, Blaine took his hand, kissed him and gently but firmly towed him towards the car.

While they were driving back to Westerville Kurt sank back into his thoughts of moving, and was just mentally listing all the qualities he was looking for in a property when Blaine gallantly opened the passenger door for him. Somehow, they’d already arrived without him noticing.

So he told Blaine that he was thinking about buying real estate in Westerville. It would make sense, from a business point of view, and it would make him ever so much happier to live and work closer to Blaine.

Blaine nodded and beamed, seeming elated at the prospect, and promising that Kurt could stay over whenever he liked while house-hunting. He wrapped Kurt in his arms, and Kurt hugged him back fervently.

They were both worn out from the party, so after a quick pizza dinner and some cuddling on the sofa, they called it a night.

K&B

The next morning, Kurt told Blaine he was going to strike while the iron was hot. He planned on contacting Wes, a cousin of Mike’s, whom he knew was a realtor in Westerville, and asking him what commercial properties he had for sale and when Kurt could go see them.

Blaine promptly gave Kurt his spare key and told him to feel free and hop back into his apartment to warm up in between property visits.

“Oh, and can we have lunch together?” Blaine asked hopefully. “There’s this sushi place not far from my school that you will love, I’m sure.”

Kurt gave him a happy grin. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll meet you in front of the school at twelve o’clock sharp.”

“Aye, aye, sir,” Blaine saluted, and dove in for a kiss before shrugging into his coat and waving Kurt goodbye cheerily.

Kurt sat down at Blaine’s desk and wrote down his list of requirements, and then called Wes.

When he arrived at school for his lunch date with Blaine, he’d already viewed three properties, but unfortunately, none of them were very appealing.

The first was too big and too dark for him, and the mouldy smell the place exuded hinted at a leak somewhere.

The second was too small and showed big cracks in the walls, so Kurt feared it wasn’t very sound structurally.

The third seemed the right size, but had clearly not been used for half a century or so. Kurt kept sneezing because there was dust everywhere. The wiring looked old and frayed, the windows were single-glazed and draughty, the floors were worn out and slanted and there was no indoor plumbing in the living quarters upstairs.

He narrated his visits to Blaine, who sympathised but told him not to give up too soon.

_Oh, honey, I’m not planning on it, I assure you. Hummel men are as stubborn as they can get._

The sushi restaurant was everything Blaine had promised and more: delicious and healthy food, minimalist but beautiful décor and very friendly waitresses, though that might have been due to Blaine’s old movie star charm.

Much too soon, Blaine had to leave for school again, and Kurt reluctantly sent him on his way after stealing a few kisses, and headed back to Wes’s office, determined to cram as many visits into his day as he possibly could.


	60. Family

“ _Loneliness had taught Harriet that there was always someone who understood - it was just so often that they were dead, and in a book._ ” (Eva Ibbotson, _A Company of Swans_ )

Kurt ended up staying at Blaine’s until Friday afternoon, when they drove to Lima to get ready for another Hudmel Friday Dinner.

He’d looked at buildings all over Westerville. So far, he’d had no luck. He hadn’t been able to find a property that spoke to him, and he wasn’t prepared to settle for second best.

Getting to spend more time with Blaine felt wonderful, though, and only strengthened his resolve to keep searching for the perfect place.

He broached his plans at dinner with his family. Rachel, of course, was far from surprised, but Burt and Carole exchanged meaningful glances, and Finn even seemed rather offended that Kurt planned on moving away from Lima.

“Dude, we’ll never see you again if you move that far away,” Finn waxed indignant. “You can’t do that to us. We need you here. You’re my brother, man! You’re Sarah and Toby’s favourite uncle!”

“I’m their ONLY uncle, Finn,” Kurt rectified, and at the exact same moment, Sarah piped up: “No, he’s not! Blaine is our favourite uncle!”

Toby had his mouth full, but nodded fervently in agreement with what his sister said.

The adults at the table sat stunned for a moment. Then they all smiled: Rachel slyly, Finn bemusedly, Carole indulgently, Burt approvingly and Kurt tremulously. And Blaine? He beamed as though he meant to light up the world with his pearly whites.

When they got back to Kurt’s place that evening and Kurt started up his laptop, he was stunned and a little ashamed to find that his mailbox had absolutely blown up. The sheer amount of e-mails that had amassed in little over two days’ time was astounding.

Most of the e-mails were from quilters all over the United States. He quickly skimmed through the mails and attachments, and whooped loudly when at last, he opened a mail from a Texan quilter who had the fabric he wanted. He immediately sent a mail back, thanking her for helping him out and asking her to name her price for the fabric and the shipping costs.

Then he went back to the other mails and sent thank yous to all the quilters who had responded to his plea.

Lastly, he sent an e-mail to Susan Keller to tell her the elusive fabric had been found. He promised her that if ever the national quilting guild could use his help for a project, she only had to say the word.

Then he focused on a few order mails he’d received, and he noted with pride that the psychedelic black-and-white bow tie he’d designed with Blaine in mind was selling really well.

He printed out the orders and ran downstairs to pin them onto his corkboard. He checked if he still had enough of the black-and-white fabric and cut the pieces. Assembling them would have to wait, though.

He rushed upstairs again and nestled into Blaine’s arms with a content sigh. Blaine nuzzled Kurt’s neck and ear, sending sparks throughout his body.

“I love how accepting your family is,” commented Blaine. “They’ve really welcomed me with open arms. To the point where the kids even call me Uncle.”

They both laughed.

“That was weird,” continued Blaine. A slow smile unfurled on his lips. “I so wasn’t expecting that. But it made my day!”

“I’m glad my family likes you,” remarked Kurt. “Because if it’s up to me, you’ll be around for a long time.”

Blaine’s smile grew bigger. “For as long as you want me,” he promised, and sealed the promise with a searing kiss.

“Does your brother have children?” asked Kurt curiously. “I was just wondering … You said he was a lot older than you, so he’s probably married already? A family man?”

Blaine snorted. “Cooper is the furthest thing from a family man there ever was. I don’t think he’s ever had a girlfriend. All he ever has is hook-ups. Sometimes he brings a girl home, because our parents ask him to, for certain parties or events, but it’s never the same girl twice. And it’s always someone very unsuitable who is sure to annoy my father immensely. Cooper loves riling him up. Sometimes, that’s amusing. Mostly, though, it’s annoying, because when it gets bad, Cooper escapes and leaves me and my mom to face the music. With Cooper gone, my father takes his bad mood out on us, and especially me, because a homosexual in the house provides so much scope of imagination for slurs and insults.”

Kurt stroked Blaine’s arms soothingly. He could imagine the picture Blaine painted for him all too vividly, and it made him feel horrible. Kurt could deal with being insulted and looked down upon by strangers, because he had a wonderful supportive family who had always had his back. Blaine did not. His mother seemed nice enough but didn’t defend her youngest son, his father was a self-important homophobe who clearly did not accept Blaine, and his brother sounded very self-centred. He marvelled at how Blaine managed to grow up into such an amazing, warm and loving man in spite of his cold upbringing.

_Well, if they can’t see what a treasure Blaine is, it’s their loss. My family will be happy to adopt him. In fact, they already seem to have done so … And I love it!_

“My father probably asked Cooper to bring a girl along again for Thanksgiving this year,” remarked Blaine off-handedly. “I got the same message.”

Kurt turned his head so fast he got a crick in his neck. “Your parents want me to attend their Thanksgiving dinner with you?”

Blaine chuckled mirthlessly. “Oh no, they don’t. My father ordered me to bring a GIRL as my date. And if I’m incapable of behaving like a ‘normal’ man, I’m grudgingly allowed to come alone, if I must.”

Kurt gaped at Blaine.

Blaine cracked a little smile at Kurt’s gobsmacked expression, but the pain in his eyes was obvious, and it made Kurt want to strangle Edward Anderson. “Yes, well, sorry to get your hopes up for a moment there. I’m afraid I won’t ever be able to take you to my parents’ for the holidays. My mother wouldn’t mind, I’m sure, but my father … Well, you saw what he’s like at the wedding. He takes my being gay as a personal insult. He thinks I’m ‘choosing’ to be gay just to act out and get his attention. Like Cooper does on a regular basis. But I’m not like Cooper at all. I don’t want to stand out. I’m happy to be an ordinary guy. And I just want my parents to love me and be proud of me. They’re always harping on about how Cooper should settle down and give them a few grandchildren. But if I were to get married and have children, they probably wouldn’t even acknowledge the relationship or their grandchildren. Isn’t that sad?”

Kurt just nodded, beyond words. He looked down at their entwined hands, and saw the tears that were rolling down his cheeks splash onto his lap.

Blaine shook his head wonderingly. “Sometimes I don’t get how Cooper and I could possibly be related, you know. We’re so different. I would never be able to have casual sex. Sharing your body with an absolute stranger. I just … The very thought makes me feel sick. I really need to form a strong emotional connection with someone before I’d even consider having a physical relationship with him.”

Kurt hummed in agreement. “I know what you mean. My father told me and Finn ‘not to throw ourselves around because we matter’.”

“That’s it,” nodded Blaine, “that’s it exactly. And maybe that makes me old-fashioned and weird, but I don’t care.”

Kurt threw his arms around Blaine’s neck and kissed him deeply. “I feel the same way. So we can both be old-fashioned weirdoes together.”

“Good plan,” chuckled Blaine, leaning in for another kiss.


	61. Favourite Uncle

_“America, my love, you are sunlight falling through trees. You are laughter that breaks through sadness. You are the breeze on a too-warm day. You are clarity in the midst of confusion._

_You are not the world, but you are everything that makes the world good. Without you, my life would still exist, but that’s all it would manage to do.” (_ Kiera Cass _, The One)_

The days following the party were busy but happy for both Kurt and Blaine. Once Kurt had decided to relocate his shop, he lost no time looking for the perfect place in Westerville, so he stayed at Blaine’s and inspected properties all over the city.

Blaine loved it. He got to wake up next to Kurt, have lunch with him and spend the evening cooking dinner together and then watching TV while cuddling with Kurt and letting his hands wander, or drawing a portrait of Kurt surreptitiously while Kurt was curled up in an armchair, reading, looking like a sleek and content oversized cat. It felt as though they were living together already, and it was heaven.

_I can’t wait until Kurt finds the shop of his dreams and moves in with me for real …_

When school let out on Friday, Kurt and Blaine headed to Lima to have dinner at the Hudmels, and when the door opened this time, both Burt and Finn beamed when they saw Blaine. Burt clapped him on the shoulder and Finn fist-bumped him, and as soon as they all sat down at the table, they got into a heated discussion about reserve player Tom Simmons, who had finally gotten his chance to shine in last Sunday’s game. Finn was of the opinion that Simmons deserved to be in the main team. Blaine, however, didn’t agree. The guy was fast, certainly, and strong, but he wasn’t enough of a team player. There had been a few moments where Simmons should have passed the ball to a team-mate who had a chance to score, and each time he hadn’t, wanting to score himself but losing the ball in the end. Burt was on the fence about it. He thought Simmons had definite potential, but agreed that he probably wasn’t ready to be on the main team.

Kurt seemed a little bored with all the football talk, and as soon as he saw his chance, he changed the topic to him moving to Westerville.

Rachel smiled smugly, seeming content that Kurt had taken her hint.

Burt and Carole didn’t say much, but the silent conversation between them was very telling. They knew that this meant Kurt was really serious about Blaine, and though they were supportive, the worry was there in their eyes.

Blaine could understand it. After all, though it seemed much longer already, he’d only known Kurt for two weeks. So yes, it was crazy to think of living together already. It seemed reckless and doomed to failure. And yet …Nothing had ever felt so right as holding Kurt in his arms at night, kissing Kurt before leaving for school in the morning and coming home to him in the afternoon. They didn’t fight over the remote, they teamed up in the kitchen without quarrelling, and they divided household tasks with an ease that belied their short acquaintance. Blaine felt sure, deep in his bones, that Kurt belonged with him, and that they would make it in the long run. So though it was probably much too soon and too risky, he was impatient for Kurt to move in with him. He was ready to spend the rest of his life with Kurt. So ready.

Burt and Carole didn’t voice their reservations, but Finn, on the other hand, was very vocal in his protest. Finn’s objection to Kurt moving stemmed from his fear that he wouldn’t see much of Kurt anymore when his stepbrother moved away. And how could Kurt do that to Finn and to his niece and nephew? He was their favourite uncle!

Just as Kurt rolled his eyes and replied that they had no other uncle, Sarah firmly denied that they loved Kurt best. “Blaine is our favourite uncle!”

Toby nodded solemnly.

_Wait … What? Wow … Well … I didn’t see that one coming … But it feels wonderful that they see me as part of the family._

He felt warmth bloom in his chest, and his lips stretched into a wide happy smile.

At Kurt’s place, he settled onto the sofa to watch some television while Kurt sat behind his computer. He turned around when he heard Kurt whoop excitedly for some reason, just in time to see him wiggle on his chair in glee, his eyes shining. Blaine chuckled but didn’t ask what that was about. If he left Kurt to it, he’d get his cuddle time all the sooner.

Kurt typed furiously for a while, his hands flying over the keyboard with practised ease, and then printed out a few pages and ran downstairs with them.

When Kurt came back, he headed straight for Blaine and sat down next to him, throwing his legs gracefully over Blaine’s lap and arranging Blaine’s arm around him, his head softly nuzzling Blaine’s chest.

Blaine was amused by Kurt’s feline behaviour. If Kurt were able to, he would have purred, Blaine was sure of it.

_By all means, make yourself comfortable, love …_

They started talking about their respective families. Blaine was happy to talk about the Hudmels any time. They were lovely and welcoming. Talking about the Andersons, however, soon had him edgy and bitter and snappy. An innocent question of Kurt’s about Cooper having children led to Blaine pouring out his resentment at Cooper’s stirring the pot whenever he came home, which then led to Edward being vicious and mean to Blaine.

Kurt didn’t bat an eye at Blaine’s sudden outburst. His eyes were soft and sad, and his hands went up and down Blaine’s arms tenderly. His touch soothed and grounded Blaine.

_I feel more at home with you and with your family than I ever have with mine. And it hurts to know that I will never be able to bring you to family dinners at the Andersons’._

He told Kurt about the message he’d received from his father. Kurt misunderstood at first, and thought that Edward had invited him along for Thanksgiving. Then, when Blaine explained further, Kurt’s mouth fell open in a cartoonish stupefied expression that made the corners of Blaine’s lips turn up involuntarily.

_Well, this is as good a time as any to warn you that you will never be welcome at the Andersons’, I guess …_

So Blaine apologised for disappointing Kurt, and stated very firmly and clearly that his father didn’t accept his being gay and that, as a result, he would never accept or even acknowledge Blaine’s partner or, further down the road, Blaine’s children.

That made Kurt cry, and Blaine felt awful to have crushed Kurt’s hopes. He didn’t harp on it further, but let his mind wander to another topic, namely how different Cooper and he were. Cooper had one fling after another and must have slept with dozens of women at this point. Whenever Cooper and Blaine spent time together, Cooper was always scanning their surroundings for hot women to flirt with. Baristas in coffee shops, waitresses in restaurants, girls waiting in line at the cinema, you name it. Cooper was very much an equal opportunities kind of guy if it helped him get laid. And because he was blessed with stunning looks and the Anderson charm, he always got his way.

Blaine very much wondered if there was anyone in the world who’d say no to Cooper, and how his elder brother would react to that. Now that might be interesting.

Cooper seemed under the impression that Blaine was just as promiscuous as he was, no matter how many times Blaine tried to set him right on that point. On their outings, Cooper kept pointing all the good-looking men in his age range out to Blaine in a very obvious way, and sometimes he went as far as to actually try and hook them up. At best, that embarrassed Blaine to the point where he blushed furiously and refused to look up until the other man had left with a good-natured shrug. In the worst case scenario, he got a taste of the guy’s right hook and was then unceremoniously escorted out of the establishment with the firm admonishment never to return.

He’d attempted to get it through Cooper’s thick skull that he didn’t want or need meaningless sex. That he was happy to wait for his Mr. Right and not willing to settle for Mr. Right Now. It never seemed to sink in, though. Cooper always brushed it off with “You don’t know what you’re missing, squirt! Stop being so uptight all the time!”, while reaching for Blaine’s hair and messing it up.

Cooper was wrong. Blaine knew what he was missing. He saw it whenever he spent time with Nick and Jeff. That was what he wanted. Not some quick fix, but someone who’d stick around. Someone who’d be his best friend, his lover, his confidante, his strongest supporter and his shoulder to cry on. Someone he could talk with for hours about every topic under the sun. Someone he would dare to share every aspect of himself with. Someone he could have a pillow fight or a tickle war with until they were both breathless with laughter. Someone who knew him inside and out. Someone who’d finish his sentences, give him the last cookie, cheer him up when he was sad and remember how he liked his coffee in the morning.

And now that Blaine had found that person in Kurt, he was so glad he’d waited, because he couldn’t imagine giving his body where he hadn’t already given his heart. He said as much to Kurt, and was glad that his boyfriend agreed.

And then Kurt kissed him just so, and Blaine stopped thinking altogether and kissed him back with abandon.


	62. Thanksgiving

“ _It doesn't matter who you are or what you look like, so long as somebody loves you._ ” (Roald Dahl, _The Witches_ )

The following weeks, they fell into a pattern. They would spend the first half of the week apart, Kurt designing and sewing and Blaine teaching and leading the Thanksgiving musical rehearsals. Then, on Wednesday afternoon, Kurt would drive to Westerville to be with Blaine and to continue looking for the ideal spot for his new shop. On Fridays, Kurt and Blaine would head back to Lima for the Hudmel Friday Dinner, and then spend the weekend at Kurt’s place. Blaine hitched a ride with Tina on Monday mornings, and then the cycle started all over again.

Blaine was walking around with a permanent smile on his face these days, in spite of his busy schedule, and not even the female lead of the musical falling ill just before performance day could shake his cool. He let Julie take the lead during the dress rehearsal, and with his encouragement, she shone even brighter than Emma had.

Kurt came to see the musical and sat with Tina and Mike. Blaine stood in the wings and observed him surreptitiously. He laughed and teared up in all the right places and seemed to enjoy the musical numbers, tapping his foot and bobbing his head to the beat.

The applause the performers got was deafening, and all the proud parents made it their mission to come congratulate Blaine.

“You’ve done wonders with our Julie,” Mrs. Gerswin gushed. “She’s really blossomed out since you cast her in the play.”

“I must say you’ve outdone yourself with the masks this year!” boomed Mr. Thurnstone. “So lifelike!”

“Those were catchy songs,” smiled Mr. Lester. “I think that Pumpkin Song will stick in my head for days. Thanks for that!”

Blaine grinned proudly and doled out thank yous and praise of his own, helping the littlest children out of their costumes and fetching an ice pack from the nurse’s office for a fourth-grader who’d twisted his ankle making a wrong dance move.

The Round Room gradually emptied, until only the teachers and their partners and children were left. They made quick work of stacking up the folding chairs and putting all the props and masks into cardboard boxes, and then they hugged their colleagues, wished them a Happy Thanksgiving and headed out.

Kurt and Blaine were the last to leave, and walked out into the crisp but clear night in silence, their hands swinging between them. Blaine’s eyes shone brightly. The musical had been an overwhelming success, and now he had a few days off he could spend with Kurt instead of going to his parents for a stuffy and uncomfortable dinner. Life was good.

When they neared Blaine’s apartment building, Kurt cleared his throat. “So …”

“So?” asked Blaine.

“That was spectacular,” praised Kurt. “I loved the songs and the story, and the children did an amazing job. Well done!”

Blaine grinned widely. “Thank you.”

“I was wondering, though,” Kurt continued, fidgeting rather nervously with his scarf and not meeting Blaine’s eyes.

_What’s the matter?_

“Yes?” Blaine prompted.

“What are your plans for tomorrow?” asked Kurt. “Because you told me your parents had invited you for Thanksgiving, but you never really said whether or not you’re planning on going.”

Blaine whipped his head around incredulously. “I didn’t?”

Kurt shook his head, still looking uncertain.

Blaine exhaled gustily. “Kurt … I thought it was obvious. I sent my father a message that if you weren’t welcome, they wouldn’t see me either. And I’ll stick to that. I’m not going to my parents’ tomorrow.”

Kurt’s bottom lip trembled. “I’m sorry.”

Blaine lifted Kurt’s chin to get Kurt to look him in the eye. “Sweetheart, you have nothing to apologise for. You’re a wonderful person and a perfect boyfriend, and if my father can’t see that, it’s his loss.”

“But they’re your family, and it’s Thanksgiving,” reasoned Kurt.

“We’re not very big on celebrating the holidays together,” Blaine revealed. “I can count on one hand the number of times all of us have celebrated Thanksgiving or Christmas together. My parents usually go to cocktail parties and charity dinners on Thanksgiving and on a cruise around Christmas. When we were little, we celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas with our nanny. Then, when I grew older, I celebrated the holidays at Dalton, or on campus at college. And since I’ve graduated, I usually get invited by one or other of my colleagues or college buddies or Dalton friends. So don’t get it into your head that you’re making me miss a treasured family event. You’re not.”

Kurt looked shocked at this revelation, and didn’t say anything while they climbed the stairs to Blaine’s apartment.

As soon as they were inside, though, Kurt turned to Blaine.

“So … Does this mean … Are you coming to Lima with me?” Kurt inquired.

“If your family doesn’t mind me joining them, then yes,” answered Blaine. “I’d love to celebrate Thanksgiving at the Hudmels’.”

Kurt’s smile in response was blinding. “My parents and my brother and his family are all counting on you being there. I don’t think it crossed their minds that you might go visit your own relations. I believe Sarah and Toby even requested a sleep-over during the Thanksgiving weekend. I usually let them sleep over once a month whenever it’s convenient so that Rachel and Finn can have some quality time together.”

Blaine liked that plan. “That would be lovely. They’re a bit too young for ghost stories, but we can totally build an awesome blanket fort and binge-watch Disney and make waffles and drink hot chocolate with little marshmallows.”

Kurt let out a short burst of laughter. “Trust you to be even more psyched about it than my niece and nephew! Okay, sweetie, they can sleep over on Friday night, and you’re in charge of the entertainment programme.”

“Yes,” Blaine fist-pumped. “Let’s see … We will watch The Little Mermaid for Sarah, and Tarzan for Toby, and I’ll bring my Mulan and Jungle Book DVDs as well, as back-up. Oh, and I should bring my guitar, too. We can have a Disney sing-a-long. And could you please remove that antique mirror from your living room wall for the evening? Then I can make shadow pictures on the wall while I’m telling them a bedtime story.”

While he was brainstorming, he grabbed the DVDs in question as well as his guitar, and then he ran to his bedroom to pack some clothes for the weekend.

When he came back into the living room, still full of plans and rattling on about them, Kurt stood stock-still next to the couch, looking a little shell-shocked, but soon enough, a smile crept over his face. “Yes, that sounds lovely. And yes, I’ll remove the mirror. Wow. You really are one of a kind.”

Blaine quirked an eyebrow at that. “Thanks, I think?”

“Oh, it was definitely a compliment,” confirmed Kurt. “You never cease to surprise me. In the best possible way.”

While they drove back to Lima, Kurt filled Blaine in on all the family traditions the Hudmels kept up at Thanksgiving. It made Blaine smile wistfully. Why couldn’t all families be like that? He made himself a solemn vow to be unapologetically silly and sentimental on holidays once he had a family of his own.

When they got to Kurt’s place, they bypassed the sofa and went straight to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

K&B

The next morning, they headed to the Hudmel family home quite early so that Kurt could help prepare the Thanksgiving dinner. When the door opened, heavenly smells wafted out, so Blaine guessed that Carole was midway her preparations already.

Kurt made a beeline for the kitchen, and Blaine followed suit.

In the kitchen, Finn was eating breakfast and Carole was bustling around trying to do ten things at once. When she saw Kurt and Blaine come in, her eyes lit up, and with a warm smile, she dropped everything and came to hug them both.

Then she handed Kurt an apron and told him: “The pecan pie is already in the oven and the turkey too. I’ve also made a blackberry cobbler. Sarah and Toby are going to make chocolate cupcakes, once they’re dressed. I was thinking you could make your signature pumpkin pie and then Blaine gets to choose what the fifth dessert is going to be.”

Carole and Kurt turned to Blaine questioningly.

Blaine, realising they were serious about this, stammered: “I … I get to pick my favourite dessert?”

“Yes, honey,” smiled Carole. “Tell us, what would you like?”

“I love apple crumble,” admitted Blaine shyly.

“Apple crumble it is!” decided Kurt. He dived into the pantry and came back with his hands full of apples. “Okay, you can start peeling. I’ll make some fruit tea to soak the raisins in, and I’ll gather the other ingredients for you as well. You’re on your own to make the crumble, though. I’ve got a pumpkin pie to make.”

Blaine grinned. “I can manage. It’s not that difficult to make.”

Before long, the children arrived and they helped Blaine with the crumble before he helped them in turn with the chocolate cupcakes.

They all ate until they practically passed out and then vegged out in front of the TV, until Sarah reminded them that they hadn’t told each other yet what they were thankful for this year.

“Okay,” Burt acquiesced. “You go first then, young lady.”

“I’m thankful that I got a solo for our Thanksgiving performance. I’m thankful for my new boots with gold stars on them. And I’m thankful for my new Uncle Blaine who tells the best stories.”

Blaine’s eyes found Kurt’s, which glimmered with amusement, but there was a layer of true happiness and joy beneath it that made Blaine lean in and kiss him gently.

Toby piped up next: “I’m thankful for my marble run. I’m thankful for my dino playset. And I’m thankful for Uncle Blaine, too. He makes Uncle Kurt smile.”

Rachel said: “I’m thankful for my wonderful husband and my sweet and talented children. And I’m thankful for new business opportunities.”

Finn added: “I’m thankful for you guys, you’re just the best family a guy could wish for. And I’m thankful for my great colleagues and my friends.”

Burt declared: “I’m thankful for my amazing wife, my sons and their partners and my grandchildren. And I’m glad I’m in good health, thanks to Carole and Kurt nagging and watching me like a hawk whenever I have a bite to eat.”

Carole revealed: “I’m thankful for all of you. Back when it was just Finn and me, I could never have imagined I’d have such a big happy family one day.”

Carole looked at Blaine, indicating he was next. Blaine smiled at Kurt. “I’m thankful that Kurt and Sarah came to the Westerville book fair. I’m thankful that Tina was pushy enough to introduce us, and then had the marvellous idea to host a Halloween party. In short, I’m thankful that I found Kurt.”

Kurt looked at Blaine before he spoke. “I’m thankful that I have found someone to share my life with.”


	63. Thankful

“ _And as we walked, she took my hand, and we just strolled along like that, and as we strolled, I was struck by this horrible realization: that never in my life had I walked along the street holding a girl's hand and felt like I did then...which was happy._ ” (Meg Cabot, The Boy Next Door)

Kurt extended his search to the area around Westerville, but when Thanksgiving rolled around, he still hadn’t found the perfect place, and he was growing exceedingly frustrated. Oh, there were plenty of properties that would have been okay, in spite of certain deficiencies, but Kurt wasn’t willing to compromise. If it wasn’t as good as his place in Lima or even better, it wouldn’t do. He refused to settle for less.

The silver lining to his fruitless search was that Kurt had gotten to spend a lot of time with Blaine. Blaine had been extremely busy with the preparations and rehearsals for the school musical, though, staying later at school and coming home exhausted but exhilarated.

Their physical relationship was progressing with baby steps. They were growing more comfortable around one another.

Blaine, who’d been touchy-feely from the very beginning, became more confident after Kurt had made it clear on several occasions that his touch was never unwelcome, that Kurt was a willing participant in whatever they did together and that Blaine could stop second-guessing himself and fearing he was taking advantage or would remind Kurt of Sebastian. Blaine’s every touch was so electrifying, sensual and tender that Kurt forever craved more.

So they explored and worshipped each other’s bodies with abandon whenever they found the time. It hadn’t progressed past frottage, hand jobs and blowjobs, though. Kurt wasn’t entirely sure he was ready for penetrative sex, and Blaine never pushed, letting Kurt set the pace.

Kurt felt himself fall harder for Blaine every day, and was powerless to stop it. Everything about Blaine drew him in.

He loved how smart Blaine was, knowledgeable about all sorts of topics and capable of explaining them clearly and entertainingly.

He loved how [unapologetically nerdy and dorky](http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/414827/21060639/1353712893790/407GLEE_Ep407-Sc2_009.jpg?token=DtUVlC77uRigW4IDJ06OCAgEQMg%3D) Blaine was. If he liked something, he’d show it loudly and proudly, even if that meant he’d be teased about it.

He loved how sweet and selfless Blaine was, always putting other people first and going out of his way to help and encourage them.

He loved how [optimistic](http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/33500000/Blaine-and-Tina-tina-and-blaine-33560505-500-281.jpg) Blaine was, always seeing the best in people and making the best of every situation.

And above all, Kurt loved how [effortlessly Blaine fit into his life](http://headlineplanet.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Klaine-Glee-New-New-York.jpg). After a mere month, he [couldn’t imagine life without Blaine](http://37.media.tumblr.com/a9ed821fa30d377d282b29c6656b1d70/tumblr_n3e90wecIv1roeqlco9_500.gif). Well, yes, he could, but it was downright painful to imagine.

So he crossed his fingers that he’d never have to find out how losing Blaine felt and he hoped that Blaine felt the same way about him.

The night of the school musical, Kurt sat with Tina and Mike and was blown away by the story and the songs that he knew Blaine had all written himself. Tina kept up a running commentary for Kurt’s benefit, telling him what the children’s names were and what grade they were in, but Kurt tuned her out and just focused on the show. In spite of their young age, the performers did an excellent job of entertaining the audience, and Kurt clapped hard when the musical came to an end.

It seemed like all the other spectators agreed with Kurt. Blaine was positively mobbed by people wishing to congratulate and thank him.

Kurt helped Tina carefully peel the masks off of the first-graders and put them into a cardboard box. While Tina wiped the stage make-up off Michael Junior’s face, Kurt did the same for Henry, using his emergency hand wipes, and he eased Henry out of his costume.

As the crowd lessened, Kurt helped tidy up the room. Blaine introduced him proudly to the colleagues Kurt hadn’t met before and they chatted for a short while before wishing one another a Happy Thanksgiving and each going their own way.

Kurt and Blaine walked to Blaine’s apartment with their fingers entwined and with happy smiles on their faces. Blaine was clearly still on a high from having seen his musical creation interpreted on stage, and Kurt let him savour his sweet success in silence, only speaking up when they reached the street where Blaine lived.

Kurt didn’t want to ruin the mood, far from it, but he just had to know what Blaine’s plans were for Thanksgiving. Blaine had mentioned that his parents had invited him to celebrate Thanksgiving with them, but he hadn’t said he was planning on going. Was he?

Blaine seemed genuinely surprised that Kurt had to ask, and told him firmly that he wasn’t going to the Andersons’ as long as Kurt wasn’t welcome there.

Kurt apologised tearfully.

_I’d be so miserable if I couldn’t be with my family for the holidays …_

To Blaine, however, it didn’t seem all too big of a deal. He told Kurt that his family hardly ever spent the holidays together, and that they hadn’t even done so when Blaine was little. That cut Kurt to the heart. Thanksgiving and Christmas were sacred in the Hudmel household. Even way back when Kurt had lost his mom and moved away to LA, he had always come back to Lima for the holidays, and both Hummel men had kept up all the traditions Elizabeth had started, year after year. So to find out that Blaine had no fond memories of family festivities because there just hadn’t been any at all was rather mind-boggling.

Kurt invited Blaine to come spend Thanksgiving in Lima, with the Hudmels, and Blaine gladly accepted, absolutely overjoyed when he heard that there would be a sleep-over with Sarah and Toby on the programme during the Thanksgiving weekend.

Blaine immediately started brainstorming for the sleep-over, sounding so much like an excited pre-schooler that Kurt couldn’t help laughing, though he was also very touched by Blaine’s enthusiasm. He hadn’t expected his boyfriend to have such a positive reaction to the sleep-over plans. After all, it would curtail their quality time.

Kurt watched in amazement as Blaine ran around the apartment like a chatty whirlwind of activity, gathering supplies for the sleep-over and clothes for himself, and formulating plans and ideas non-stop.

_Blaine truly is one in a million. How did I ever get so lucky?_

K&B

On Thanksgiving, Kurt and Blaine got up early so that Kurt could go lend Carole a hand cooking for so many people. When he entered the Hudmel’s spacious kitchen, Kurt noticed that Carole had already taken a head start. Both ovens were blasting, and Carole summed up what she had made and done already and what was left to do.

_Pumpkin pie, right. Where’s the cinnamon and the four spice powder?_

Carole told Blaine that he could choose a dessert, too, to his delighted surprise, and Blaine chose apple crumble, which he made with the help of Sarah and Toby. After that, the three of them made chocolate cupcakes, licking out the bowl in delight and going all out decorating their baking, with a supreme disregard for matching tastes and colours.

Kurt’s heart melted watching Blaine interact with the children. Blaine was wearing a ridiculous frilly apron of Carole’s, his jeans had flour on the knees and there was a streak of chocolate batter on his cheek, but he had never looked more handsome or more in his element, happily chatting and giggling with Sarah and Toby and teaching them to pipe beautiful swirls on the cupcakes.

He caught Rachel noticing his love-struck expression and sharing a conspiratorial grin with Carole. He flushed and looked away, focussing on the vegetables and potatoes.

Carole’s Thanksgiving dinner was lovely, as always, and everyone groaned when they sat down on the sofa and in armchairs to watch a football game.

Before Burt and Finn could get too engrossed in the game, Sarah commented: “Grandpa, we haven’t said what we’re thankful for this year!”

And so they all took turns voicing what they were thankful for. The usual stuff, really, except that the children included Blaine in their list.

Kurt smiled at Blaine, happy once again that his family accepted Blaine without reservation. Blaine returned the smile and leant in for a sweet kiss.

And then it was Blaine’s turn, and Blaine squeezed Kurt’s hand, looked him straight in the eye and said softly that he was thankful he’d found Kurt.

Whatever Kurt had been planning to say all flew out of the window then, and all Kurt could think of to say, was: “I’m thankful that I have found someone to share my life with.”

K&B

While everyone was devouring second and third helpings of dessert, Kurt announced that Sarah and Toby were welcome for a sleep-over on Friday night. As was to be expected, they were beside themselves with joy.

Finn and Rachel were pleased, too, though a bit hesitant.

“I know Sarah’s been pleading for a sleep-over, but you don’t have to feel obliged to say yes,” Rachel wavered.

“Yeah, it’s really nice of you, dude,” said Finn, “but won’t it cramp your style? Is Blaine okay with this?”

Kurt delicately raised an eyebrow at the “cramp your style” comment, and looked at Blaine with a confident smile.

Blaine bobbed his head up and down and beamed. “I can’t wait! It’s going to be so much fun!”

“So much fun,” echoed Toby with an ear-splitting grin, and Sarah danced around Kurt and Blaine and sang “Fun, fun, fun” by the Beach Boys until everyone joined in.

“The kids are staying here tonight,” clarified Burt, “so you can come for Friday dinner tomorrow as usual, and then take them home with you.”

“Okay,” nodded Kurt.

They spent the rest of the afternoon playing card and board games. Blaine had to be taught how to play Risk and Monopoly, as he had never done anything of the kind.

“Never?” asked Finn, flabbergasted.

“I was more into making puzzles, and reading, and playing with Lego and Playmobil,” Blaine explained. “I played chess at Dalton, though. I was in the chess club, and I was pretty good.”

Blaine’s novice status didn’t stop him from winning a game of Risk, and when Kurt won the Monopoly game, Finn stalked off to sulk on the sofa and watch some more TV. Rachel joined him, and before long, Burt had to clear his throat to remind them to keep things PG because their parents and children were present.

Rachel immediately sat up straight, and Finn scowled until Rachel whispered something in his ear that made him perk up again.

Around seven PM, Toby’s eyes started to droop, and Rachel took both him and Sarah upstairs to put their pyjamas on, after which they came to fetch Blaine for their bedtime story. Blaine followed them with a good-natured chuckle, and Kurt went along as well, lured by the promise of a story.

This time, it was about a wicked princess with a magic necklace. Her father wanted her to marry a prince, but she didn’t want to get married, so one by one, she tricked her suitors into touching her magic necklace, and poof! They transformed into a bead on the necklace. One of the princes brought along a friend, and he discovered the secret behind all these disappearances. He outwitted the princess and married her maid.

As soon as Sarah and Toby were tucked in for the night, Finn and Rachel took their leave, and Kurt and Blaine left soon after.

When Burt grumbled about their early departure, Kurt reminded him that he needed an early start the next morning, since it was Black Friday and he wanted to go shopping.

That made Burt chuckle. “Well, Blaine, rather you than me. Going shopping with Kurt is not for the faint-hearted!”

Blaine just grinned, and said that he was looking forward to it, which made Burt guffaw. “You’ll have changed your tune by tomorrow evening!”


	64. Black Friday

_“It was more than her face, though, more than her winning smile and bright eyes. May radiated an energy, an enthusiasm that made you want to be wherever she was.” (_ Kiera Cass _, The Selection)_

Black Friday was one of the rare days where Kurt didn’t mind getting up early. As soon as his alarm woke him, he jumped out of bed with a huge smile on his face and tugged Blaine along with him into the bathroom and the shower.

Blaine grinned happily and pulled Kurt flush against him under the hot spray of water. Kurt couldn’t help but moan at the titillating friction that caused, sending white-hot sparks of desire through him.

“Good morning”, Blaine purred, mischief dancing in his eyes. He kissed down Kurt’s throat until he reached the hollow above his collarbone, all the while rolling his hips into Kurt’s and letting his soapy hands roam all over Kurt’s body.

“Morning,” gasped Kurt, heat coiling inside of him and his eyes rolling back in his head from how good it all felt.

After a moment, Kurt pulled himself together enough to squirt some shower gel into his hands and wash Blaine thoroughly. And if he focused more on some parts than others, well, Blaine certainly didn’t complain, and was more than happy to return the favour …

Kurt picked out comfortable clothes that were easy to change out of and advised Blaine to do the same.

They had scrambled eggs on toast and yoghurt with blueberries for breakfast, and then hurried to the mall, where [Tina, Mercedes](http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/30900000/mercedes-and-tina-tina-cohen-chang-30970460-624-352.png), [Kitty, Marley](http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/glee/images/d/dc/Karley.png/revision/latest?cb=20121201110221&path-prefix=fr) and [Unique](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/90/22/80/902280253803a2947ae3c9326a79cb64.jpg) were already waiting for them.

“Ladies, may I present to you: my boyfriend Blaine!” announced Kurt with a flourish. “Blaine, meet Mercedes, Kitty, [Marley and Unique](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mda0weho9f1r350t5o1_250.gif). They and you and Tina are my fabulous and fun shopping partners today.”

The girls giggled, and Tina gave Blaine a quick hug and a bright smile.

“So what’s the game plan for today, ladies?” asked Kurt chipperly. “Who’s looking for what?”

“I need a dress for our anniversary dinner that’s coming up,” answered Tina.

“Unique and I were going to browse the stilettos on sale,” drawled Kitty, “and Marley here needs a new winter coat and socks for Jake, so we’re going to pick out lots of socks with silly patterns on them.”

“I don’t really need anything,” admitted Mercedes, “I just wanted to catch up with you all, and the shopping is a nice bonus. I wish I saw you more often.”

Mercedes pouted prettily, and Kurt pouted right back playfully, before giving her a kiss on the cheek and a bear hug.

Kurt looped his arms through Mercedes’ and Unique’s, Blaine offered his arms to Tina and Marley and Kitty linked both sets of friends by getting into the middle and sliding her arms through Unique’s and Marley’s.

They stopped at the shoe store first, and Kitty managed to snatch up a pair of [gorgeous black Manolo Blahniks](http://highheelsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Manolo-Blahnik-pump.jpg) at half price, whilst Unique tried on Jimmy Choo sandals in hot pink, purple and yellow. She couldn’t decide which colour to pick, so Kurt advised her to go with the [purple pair](http://www.amoqo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/24/1/Jimmy-Choo-Womens-Orchid-Lance-Curvy-Snake-Sandal-358-3.jpg). “You already have a purse to match, and just imagine how gorgeous you will look in that backless black dress of yours with these shoes.”

Next, they looked for a spectacular dress for Tina. She tried on about a dozen different dresses, and in the end, she bought a [Mondriaan inspired colour-block dress](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/6d/09/9a/6d099a710047836907868efb1fb392a2.jpg) she looked absolutely stunning in.

Then they chose socks for Jake. Kitty and Blaine teamed up to pick the most ridiculous prints, giggling contagiously. Marley okayed a pair of [black Pacman socks](http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=21385262) and another with a multi-coloured Keith Haring print, but refused purple socks with a pattern of bright pink hearts, socks featuring the Simpsons or Spongebob and Christmas-themed socks with reindeer all over them.

Blaine found a series of superhero-themed socks and [matching boxers](http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=97255555), and declared them absolutely perfect, so he bought the whole series for himself, and advised Marley to get the Supergirl socks for Jake “because she sort of looks like you, you know, if you’d dye your hair blonde”.

Kurt rolled his eyes good-naturedly at his dorky boyfriend, but refrained from commenting. He was too glad that Blaine was enjoying himself to spoil his fun.

When Marley had found herself a beautiful and warm dark grey winter coat at a bargain price, they all headed to the food court for lunch and ate and chatted and laughed until Marley was picked up by Jake and Mercedes by Sam. Kurt introduced Blaine to them, and Marley showed Jake her purchases with an apologetic shrug. Jake gave her a sweet crooked smile that showed he didn’t mind the lurid socks, and both Jake and Sam admired the Supergirl pair, which led to Blaine showing them the other socks from the superhero collection and discussing the latest comic book film adaptation.

Soon after, Jake, Marley, Unique and Kitty said their goodbyes and left for the cinema together, and Tina hugged Kurt and Blaine and ran off to do her grocery shopping. Mercedes and Sam took their leave as well, citing a family visit.

“Well, Mr. Hummel,” Blaine said solemnly, “it appears it’s just the two of us left. And you haven’t snapped up any bargains for yourself yet, so let’s see what we can do about that, shall we?”

Kurt laughed and pecked Blaine on the mouth. “If my father were here, he’d tell you not to unleash the monster in me.”

Blaine chuckled. “I’m not afraid of monsters. In fact, I have a soft spot for James Sully and Mike Wasowski.”

The rest of the afternoon, they flitted from one store to another, taking turns modelling clothes. Kurt found a gorgeous teal scarf for his collection, a blue shirt that made his eyes pop and pristine white boots lined with fur. Blaine bought a dark red polo, an electric blue sweater and two bow ties to go with it.

At five PM, they called it a day and went home to drop off their purchases and then to the Hudmels’ for dinner and to pick up Sarah and Toby.

“So how did the shopping go?” asked Carole. “Did you find anything you liked?”

Kurt and Blaine both described their purchases and told her they’d had a great time.

They ate dinner early, and then headed home with Sarah and Toby.

Sarah was chatting a dime a dozen, telling Kurt and Blaine everything she and her brother wanted to do, and Blaine countered that with his own plans.

Sarah nixed the waffle idea, saying she’d much rather munch on popcorn while watching Disney films, but pronounced herself in favour of hot chocolate with little marshmallows.

Halfway through the first film, though, Toby fell asleep, so Kurt carefully put his pyjamas on and Blaine carried him to the spare-room bed, while Sarah brushed her teeth and got ready for bed all by herself. In a hushed voice, Blaine told her a bedtime story about a princess locked away in a tower, and sang her the song that went with the story. After that, Kurt tucked Sarah in, kissed her and wished her sweet dreams.

Kurt and Blaine were just about to tiptoe out of the guest room when Sarah loudly whispered: “Can I get a goodnight kiss, Uncle Blaine?”

Blaine smiled, went up to her and kissed her cheek. “Good night, sweetie.”

“Good night, Uncle Blaine, Uncle Kurt.”


	65. Friday I'm In Love

“ _One day you will ask me which is more important, my life or yours? I will say mine and you will walk away, not knowing that you are my life_." (Khalil Gibran)

Blaine was in seventh heaven. For the first time in his life, he wasn’t spending Thanksgiving at school, at college or at a friend’s or colleague’s as a hanger-on, careful not to be a bother and not to outstay his welcome. No, this time, he was experiencing a true family Thanksgiving, and everyone went out of their way to include him and make him feel at home in a thousand little ways.

He’d gotten to choose his own dessert, and then he’d unceremoniously been handed an apron and ingredients and told to make it himself.

Everyone talked to him, not to exchange polite and socially acceptable platitudes, but because they truly wanted his opinion on something.

Burt asked: “Who do you think will win this game?”, and grinned and nodded when he said his friend Ryder Lynn played in one of the teams and was sure to be amazing from the first minute to the last.

Carole proffered him a taste from her wooden spoon. “Here, honey, taste this sauce and tell me if it needs more seasoning.”

Sarah and Toby chatted his ears off and insisted on sitting next to him at the table and handing him drawings they’d made and singing him songs they’d learnt at school.

Rachel described Sarah’s Thanksgiving performance to Blaine and asked Blaine and Kurt to tell her all about Hawthorne’s Thanksgiving musical.

[Finn invited Blaine to a bro night on Saturday evening, and summed up who was going to be there, what they did for a living and what they were like.](http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140825201303/glee/images/3/37/Blinn_blaine_finn_aw_milk.gif)

“Well, you know Puck and Mike, of course, they were at the wedding. And then there’s Artie, he’s a film director. Really cool dude. And Jake, who works with his brother Puck. Almost as good a dancer as Mike. Quite a temper, though, you don’t want to make him angry. I think you’re really going to like Sam. He isn’t here often, ‘cause he and Mercedes live in LA. She’s a famous singer now and he’s a famous supermodel and all that, but they’ve stayed the same nice people they were before. And then there’s the younger Glee generation. They’re still in college. Spencer and Alistair, they’re together, like you and Kurt, and Mason, and Roderick. I thought Mason was gay, too, at first, he did seem the type, but he’s dating a girl, so I guess I was wrong.”

Blaine would gladly have listened to more information about Finn’s ‘bros’, but at this point, Kurt chased Finn out of the kitchen because he was stealing apple slices and cheese and whatever he could lay his hands on. “Out, Finn! Dinner’s nearly ready. Just wait ten more minutes like everybody else!”

In short, Blaine truly felt he belonged here, with the Hudmels, and that felt amazing. His cheeks were starting to ache from smiling so widely and so often, his eyes shone like stars and he felt as hyper as a kid who’d just eaten all his Halloween candy in one go.

When Kurt brought up the plan to have Sarah and Toby sleep over at his place on Friday night, Blaine had to keep himself from bouncing up and down in glee, and he nodded emphatically when Finn asked if he was okay with that, and declared that it was going to be fun.

Even Kurt’s announcement that they’d be getting up early the next day to go shopping didn’t shake Blaine’s good mood, in spite of Burt’s dire warnings.

K&B

When the alarm clock woke them the next morning, Blaine was astonished to see Kurt sit up at once, silence the alarm and take Blaine by the hand to go shower together, all without the slightest grumble or yawn. Apparently, Kurt was a morning person on Black Friday. Who knew?

Blaine gladly took advantage of Kurt’s excellent mood to instigate a bit of shower fun, so when they adjourned to the kitchen dressed and ready for a long day of shopping, they both had identical satisfied grins on their faces.

Kurt looked at his watch and groaned. “We’re running late! No fancy breakfast this time, just something quick and filling, so that we can get going. If we arrive late at the mall, I will never hear the end of it from Kitty.”

After a hurried breakfast, they drove to the mall as fast as the speed limits allowed.

Though he concealed it well, Blaine was nervous about meeting more of Kurt’s friends, and very relieved to find Tina’s familiar face among them.

Kurt introduced his girlfriends to Blaine, except Tina, of course, whom Blaine already knew. In the back of his mind, Blaine wondered if this was it, or if Kurt had more girlfriends Blaine hadn’t met yet. Blaine was thick as thieves with Tina, and got along well with his other female colleagues as well, but he didn’t have a different set of girlfriends for every activity, like Kurt seemed to have.

The girls didn’t seem to mind Blaine coming along on their shopping trip, and happily discussed what they wanted to buy.

Mercedes was the only one who had no clear ideas of what she wanted, except for the company of Kurt and her girlfriends. She lamented hardly ever seeing her friends these days, [which led to Kurt hugging her tightly](http://37.media.tumblr.com/75060f3e9ff9100eaf5d03a6eb59953e/tumblr_mm72e6O2d81r7lepzo5_250.gif). They seemed pretty close.

The other girls were younger. Unique looked and behaved like a diva. Kitty was the bitchy queen bee kind of type, though a mischievous twinkle in her eyes suggested that there was more to her than the clichés her appearance and general behaviour conjured up. And Marley was rather shy, but absolutely gorgeous. Dark blue eyes combined with brown hair, a rather unusual pairing.

They all linked arms to walk through the mall together.

Blaine loved seeing Kurt in action as a stylist, steering his girlfriends away from fabrics that were sure to shrink or wrinkle or fade, from colours that didn’t suit them or clashed with half of their wardrobe, and telling them what dress type would work best for them, and which classic items every woman ought to have in her walk-in closet.

He had his own fun when they picked out socks for Marley’s boyfriend Jake. Blaine swore by the Achile brand for socks. Undeniable high quality, bright colours and whimsical prints and patterns. What more could a man wish for?

He and Kitty dug through all the socks that were on sale and held up the ones they liked and the ones they found hilarious for Marley to see. Then he browsed further and found a fabulous underwear range with all his favourite superheroes.

_I just have to have this!_

Grinning triumphantly at this great find, he bought the whole assortment, and he convinced Marley to buy some Supergirl socks for Jake, too.

When the girls had all found what they had come to the mall for, they grabbed lunch together. Blaine’s head nearly exploded from trying to follow the various conversations that sprung up between them all.

Mercedes lived in LA and told stories of all the celebrities she had sighted or worked with, and about the animal shelter she and her boyfriend volunteered at every Saturday.

Marley and Tina were discussing their relationships and comparing notes.

Unique and Kitty were swapping the latest gossip about other McKinley alumni and mutual college acquaintances.

And Kurt was happily conversing with everyone at once, picking in on the conversation without the slightest hitch, [his face glowing, his gestures wide and animated, laughing and smiling uninhibitedly](http://33.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzaheoPj811qbguy8o1_500.gif).

Blaine didn’t say much, content to quietly observe his breathtakingly beautiful boyfriend, eat his fill and rest his feet.

After lunch, Kurt’s friends drifted away one by one.

Mercedes and Marley were picked up by their boyfriends. Marley showed Jake the socks she’d bought, and as Blaine had thought, Jake loved the Supergirl socks.

Mercedes’ boyfriend Sam exclaimed: “Sweet! I want me a pair of these too!”

So Blaine showed him the whole series, and Sam told Mercedes he wanted to go buy a Batman pair for himself before they went to visit her sister, tugging her along excitedly.

Tina left as well, after giving both Kurt and Blaine an affectionate hug, and then the others took their leave too and headed towards the cinema.

That left just Kurt and Blaine, and Blaine egged Kurt on to do some shopping for himself now, relishing Kurt’s laugh and sparkling eyes when he dubbed himself a shopping monster.

And yes, Kurt definitely knew how to shop thoroughly and dedicatedly. But Blaine considered all the hours at the mall well spent as long as he got to see his delectable boyfriend [model the latest fashions](http://static.tumblr.com/e01692816acac962b6d3808b6c10e666/6kgzflq/sF3mh19je/tumblr_static_tumblr_mh16fmp4oe1rk63wco8_r1_400.jpg) as though he was strutting on a catwalk in Milan.

Blaine got his chance to shine, too. Kurt picked out all sorts of outfits for him and ordered him into the changing rooms. He definitely had a good eye, and seemed to deliberately pick clothes that showed off Blaine’s chest, arms and ass.

When they decided enough was enough, Blaine was astonished to see it was 5 PM already.

That evening, they had dinner at the Hudmels’, before taking Sarah and Toby to Kurt’s place for the sleep-over.

“So how did the shopping go?” asked Carole. “Did you find anything you liked?”

Burt smirked at Blaine, clearly expecting him to say “Never again” or “It was a complete nightmare”.

Blaine smiled back, and just told Carole what he’d bought and who he had met at the mall and that they’d had a lovely day so far.

Then he glanced at Burt again. Burt looked at him with a stunned expression, and then shrugged and nodded approvingly, respect in his eyes.

Sarah and Toby were predictably hyper, and especially Sarah talked their heads off all the way to Kurt’s house.

Blaine’s careful planning for the sleep-over fell through, however, when Toby fell asleep barely half an hour into the first Disney film.

_Well, I’m sure there will be a next time, right?_

Blaine carried Toby to bed, and quietly told Sarah a bedtime story. Then he left it to Kurt to kiss Sarah and Toby goodnight.

Only, Sarah had other ideas. “Can I get a goodnight kiss, Uncle Blaine?”

Blaine smiled brightly and went to kiss her gently on the cheek. “Good night, sweetie.”

“Good night, Uncle Blaine, Uncle Kurt.”

_One day, that will be us kissing our children goodnight …_


	66. Early Start

# Chapter 66: Early Start

“ _Being a parent is dirty and scary and beautiful and hard and miraculous and exhausting and thankless and joyful and frustrating all at once. It’s everything._ ” (Jill Smokler, _Confessions of a Scary Mommy: An Honest and Irreverent Look at Motherhood: The Good, The Bad, and the Scary_ )

Blaine woke up with a start when a small hand suddenly rapped its knuckles on his forehead.

“Uncle Kurt? Uncle Blaine?” whispered Toby insistently. “I’m awake.”

Blaine rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and groggily sat up to check what time it was on the alarm clock.

_Four in the morning! Wow, Toby’s an early bird._

Blaine whispered back: “It’s too early to get up yet, Toby. I’m going to bring you back to bed, and I want you to close your eyes and sleep some more.”

Toby’s lip trembled. “It’s so dark, Uncle Blaine. I’m scared.”

By this time, Blaine’s head had cleared, and he thought up a solution quickly. He grabbed his trousers and fished his house keys from the pocket. Dangling from the keychain was a [little bear ](http://img04.deviantart.net/7167/i/2012/008/1/2/resident_evil_4_teddy_bear_keychain_by_chaoticclaire-d4lp039.jpg)he had once won at the funfair. He hooked the soft toy off the keychain and handed it to Toby.

“This is Benny Bear. He’s very brave, and he’s kept me safe for many many years. Now I’ve got Kurt, so I’m giving Benny Bear to you. You don’t have to be afraid with him around.”

Toby accepted the little teddy bear with alacrity, his eyes shining. “Thank you, Uncle Blaine.”

Toby slipped his hand into Blaine’s, and Blaine brought him to the guest room and tucked him back in. Toby closed his eyes immediately and was out like a light, snoring lightly.

Blaine tiptoed out of the guest room and crawled back into bed, thankful that Toby’s nightly excursion hadn’t woken Kurt.

Sleep evaded him, though, so he lay on his back softly humming to himself, mentally composing a song he’d been working on for a few weeks, and in the end, the soothing melody lulled him to sleep.

Not for long, though, for once again he was roughly woken, this time by Sarah shaking him by the shoulder.

“Uncle Blaine,” Sarah hissed, “Toby wet the bed! I just woke up because my left arm felt all cold and wet, and Toby’s side of the bed is drenched. And he’s not even waking up. He’s sleeping right through it!”

Blaine checked the alarm clock again and suppressed a groan.

_Barely five thirty. Best make sure we don’t wake Kurt, or he’ll be grumpy all day._

He put his finger on his lips to signal Sarah to be quiet and followed her to the guest room.

Unfortunately, Sarah was right. Toby had clearly wet the bed.

_Well, seeing as he’s still asleep, I’ll see to Sarah first …_

“Take your clothes, please, Sarah,” Blaine commanded. “And the fresh underwear you brought. We’re going to the bathroom.”

Sarah grabbed everything she needed and they headed to the bathroom, where Blaine handed her shower gel, shampoo, a wash cloth and a fluffy towel, and started the shower for her, making sure the water was just the right temperature.

“Will you be all right by yourself?” Blaine asked.

Sarah nodded. “Will you blow-dry my hair afterwards?”

“Of course,” smiled Blaine. “I’ll be in the guest room or in the living room. Just come and fetch me, okay?”

Blaine went back to the guest room to check on Toby, who had started tossing and turning by now. Blaine took this to mean that Toby was close to waking up, and waited it out for another few minutes.

Then Toby’s eyes fluttered open, and his face twisted into an unhappy grimace when he felt he was cold and wet.

“Hey Toby …” said Blaine softly. “You wet the bed. Better get up now, big guy. As soon as your sister is washed and dressed, we’ll freshen you up, too.”

Toby looked crestfallen. His bottom lip protruded in a pout and tears started to form in his eyes.

“Hey now, don’t be sad,” Blaine hastened to reassure Toby. “This can happen to anyone. We’ll just strip the bed, get you washed and dressed in warm fresh clothes, and rustle up some breakfast for you, and then you’ll feel a lot better.”

While Blaine was talking, he stripped the bed linen off and balled it up. Thankfully, Kurt had had the forethought to slip a plastic cover sheet over the mattress, so the mattress was dry.

_Now if only I knew where Kurt’s washing machine was …_

“Toby?” he asked tentatively. “You wouldn’t happen to know where Uncle Kurt’s washing machine is, would you?”

Toby shook his head. “Sarah might know, though.”

“Okay, we’ll ask Sarah,” agreed Blaine. “Let’s take your change of clothes with us and go check on her in the bathroom.”

They knocked on the door, and Sarah said she’d just come out of the shower and was towelling herself dry, so they waited until she told them they could come in.

“Comb your hair, Sarah,” ordered Blaine. “I’ll blow-dry it for you as soon as Toby’s out of the shower.”

Blaine got the shower started again and quickly stripped off Toby’s soiled clothing and put the boy under the warm water spray before he could start shivering. He fetched another wash cloth and towel, squirted some shower gel onto the wash cloth and handed it to Toby.

“You wash your body, I’ll do your hair,” Blaine announced. “Is that okay?”

Toby nodded, and ran the wash cloth over his belly and arms.

Blaine squirted a dollop of shampoo in his hand. He made Toby lean forward, out of the water spray, and worked the shampoo through Toby’s hair thoroughly. Then he let Toby step back under the spray to rinse his hair and body. When all the soap was gone, Blaine switched off the water and wrapped Toby up in a towel like a burrito, drying his hair vigorously with a smaller towel.

“Okay, Toby, now I’m going to blow-dry Sarah’s hair first,” stated Blaine. “You towel yourself dry and put your clothes on. If you need help, I’m right here. Just ask.”

When Sarah’s hair was finally impeccable and Toby was correctly dressed, they went to the kitchen, where Blaine, following Sarah’s instructions, found a box of cereal in the corner cabinet. He went to fetch a carton of whole milk and gave each child a portion of cereal with milk, tying a kitchen towel around Toby’s neck to absorb any milk spills.

Blaine asked Sarah where Kurt’s washing machine was, and fortunately, she knew. He fetched their soiled night clothes and the bed linen and put it all into the washing machine, added soap in the dispenser and started the wash programme.

Then he ran back to the kitchen. Luckily, nobody had spilled anything in his absence and the children were quiet, munching their cereal and sipping the milk.

Blaine made himself some coffee and took another bowl out of the kitchen cabinet to have some cereal himself. He added yoghurt instead of milk, though, and took a banana from the fruit bowl to slice it up and top the cereal with it.

Of course, when the children saw that, they clamoured for bananas as well, so with a good-natured chuckle, he added fruit to their cereal as well.

After breakfast, both Sarah and Toby asked if they could watch television, so Blaine let them curl up on the sofa to watch a children’s programme.

He checked the time, and saw that it was a quarter to seven by now. He was dead tired and the children seemed content to watch their programme and would probably stay put for a while, so he decided to go back to bed and try to get some more sleep.

When he went into the direction of Kurt’s bedroom, however, Toby piped up: “Come sit with us, Uncle Blaine. I want to cuddle.”

So Blaine sat down on the sofa, in between Toby and Sarah. Toby crawled onto his lap at once, and Sarah leaned against him. Their warmth, combined with the soft sounds from the television, made Blaine’s eyes droop, and before long, [he was fast asleep again](http://36.media.tumblr.com/b48c59963c213edeab9a2995cc4324b6/tumblr_n85mqroEAd1r5fs5bo1_500.jpg).

K&B

A heavenly smell made Blaine sniff in appreciation and open his eyes.

“Uncle Kurt! Uncle Kurt!” shouted Toby, right in Blaine’s ear. “Uncle Blaine’s awake!”

_Wow! Yes, I certainly am now … Huh … Fell asleep on the sofa, did I?_

He heard Kurt’s tinkling laugh coming from the kitchen. He yawned and stretched and then lumbered to the kitchen, sliding his arms around Kurt’s waist and kissing his neck.

Kurt smiled at him. “Hey sleepyhead!”

Blaine nuzzled Kurt’s ear and hummed happily. “What’s for lunch?”

“It’s a pumpkin stew, with lots of dried fruit stirred into it as well,” Kurt answered. “Sarah and Toby like this recipe a lot. It’s very sweet. Would you be a sweetheart and peel some potatoes to go with it?”

Blaine hummed his assent and sat down at the kitchen table to peel the potatoes.

“So … I’m looking forward to meeting all the guys at the bro night tonight,” Blaine remarked conversationally.

Kurt looked up. “Finn invited you for a bro night?”

_He doesn’t seem very pleased about it for some reason. What’s the matter?_

“Yes, he did,” Blaine nodded. “So we can go together and you can introduce me to all your guy friends.”

“Blaine …” Kurt sighed. “I’m not invited. I never am, for these bro nights. I usually have a girl sleep-over with Rachel and Mercedes and Tina whenever the guys have their bro night.”

Blaine gaped at Kurt. “What do you mean, you’re not invited? Finn’s your brother! That kind of gives you a standing invitation, doesn’t it?”

“Well …” Kurt hedged. “I’m not really into the things they do during bro nights. You know … The action movies, the video games, the beer and the pizza and the talk about women.”

Blaine pouted. “Won’t you come along for me? For me? I promise I’ll make it fun for you! Say yes, go on, say yes …”

Kurt glowered at him for a minute, but the pout worked its magic and Kurt relented. “Okay. Okay, I’ll come.”

“Yay!” Blaine fist-pumped, making both Sarah and Toby laugh.

“Yeah, yeah,” sighed Kurt. “When you’re done with the potatoes, go shower, will you? Lunch is nearly ready.”

K&B

After lunch, Kurt ordered Toby to bed for his afternoon nap. Toby protested that he wasn’t at all tired, but Kurt was adamant. “I know how you get when you skip your nap, young man. In. Bed. NOW!”

Toby trudged off with a pout.

Kurt did the dishes, and Sarah helped dry them, while Blaine ladled the rest of the stew into a container and put it into the fridge.

“Have you checked on the laundry?” asked Blaine.

“Laundry?” repeated Kurt with a puzzled frown.

“I’ll take that as a no,” Blaine quipped. “I’ll be right back.”

He took the laundry out of the washing machine and hung it up to dry, opening the window in the laundry room to let some fresh air in.

Then Blaine went to check on Toby. Was he lying on a stripped bed with no coverings? He was. Dear oh dear. Toby wasn’t asleep yet, thankfully.

“Okay, Toby, we’re going to make the bed first,” Blaine announced. “You can’t sleep like this. Will you help me?”

Toby nodded enthusiastically, and together, they put new bed linen on the bed.

“Do you need to pee before your nap?” Blaine asked.

Toby did. After his bathroom run, Blaine tucked Toby in, closed the curtains properly and wished Toby a nice nap.

When he came back in the kitchen, Kurt asked Blaine in an undertone: “What was that all about?”

“Toby wet the bed this morning,” Blaine explained. “So I washed the sheets and their pyjamas. Now I’ve hung everything up to dry, and I’ve made the bed again for Toby.”

Kurt gaped at him. “Wow. I slept through all of that? Why didn’t they wake me instead of you?”

Blaine shrugged. “Maybe they guessed that I’m less grumpy early in the morning. Ouch! What did you pinch me for? You know it’s true! You’re so not a morning person!”

Sarah concurred with that statement, nodding solemnly from where she was sitting at the kitchen table, making a bead necklace.

“When did they wake you?” whispered Kurt. “It must have been early. You slept until almost noon!”

“Toby woke me up at four AM because he was scared of the dark. And then Sarah woke me at 5.30 AM because Toby had peed in the bed.”

“Ouch,” grimaced Kurt. “That’s early. Thanks for taking care of all that.”

“No problem,” smiled Blaine. “Good practice for when we have kids of our own.”

K&B

The afternoon was quiet and domestic. While Toby was asleep, Kurt sewed, Blaine drew and Sarah made more bead jewellery.

Then Toby appeared, sleep-tousled and adorable, and wanted to look at Blaine’s sketches. Toby plopped down on Blaine’s lap, snuggling in his arms. Kurt and Sarah came to sit on either side of Blaine, and they all admired his sketches and asked for the stories behind them.

Towards five PM, Kurt made crêpes filled with cheese and ham, and then crêpes with sautéed apple slices for dessert.

When all four of them had eaten their fill, Kurt packed the children’s belongings, bundled them in their coats, and off they were to Finn and Rachel’s place.

“Did they behave themselves?” Rachel asked anxiously, peeling Toby’s hat off and hugging him.

“They were as good as gold,” smiled Blaine. “We loved having them over.”


	67. Bro Night

# Chapter 67: Bro Night

“ _Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction._ ” (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, _Airman's Odyssey_ )

Kurt woke up at a quarter past eight. Next to him, the bed was empty and cold, so Blaine must have gotten up some time before, and he’d miraculously kept the children quiet so that Kurt could sleep in, bless him.

Kurt stayed in bed a little while longer, [luxuriating in the feel of a warm soft bed ](http://cdn.gurl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/kurt-hummel-glee-boyfriend-pillow.gif)and nothing to do or to get up for. He closed his eyes and listened to the soothing pitter-patter of rain falling on his roof. Then, with a big half-sigh, half-yawn, he got up, standing on his tiptoes and throwing his arms in the air to stretch.

He padded to the kitchen, expecting to see Blaine and the children there, but they weren’t. There were three bowls in the sink, so they’d had breakfast, and there was a pot of coffee that was cold by now.

_Wow! The children must have been up really early._

Kurt made himself a mug of instant coffee, drank deeply and sighed in satisfaction. He put two slices of bread into the toaster, and then looked for Blaine and Sarah and Toby.

He found them on the sofa. The television was on, showing a children’s programme with too much pep, bounce and colour. The characters had irritating squeaky voices and the background music was tinny.

Nobody was watching, though. Toby lay on Blaine’s lap, and Sarah lay with her head half on Blaine’s shoulder and half on Blaine’s chest, and all three of them were sleeping soundly.

Kurt felt his heart swell at the lovely scene in front of him, and tiptoed to his desk for his camera. He took a few photographs, and then went back to the kitchen to have breakfast.

After breakfast, he showered, dressed and styled his hair. Seeing that the trio on the sofa was still in dreamland, he took stock of what he had in the fridge, and started peeling and chopping vegetables.

He’d just started cutting the meat into cubes when he heard soft footsteps and saw Sarah in the doorway, closely followed by Toby.

“Good morning,” he whispered.

“Good morning, Uncle Kurt,” they chorused.

“Shh … Not too loud, please, let Blaine sleep,” Kurt admonished.

“Okay,” they whispered loudly.

“Will you help me make lunch?” asked Kurt.

Sarah and Toby nodded eagerly.

He made them sit on either side of the kitchen table, put a big bowl in the middle and handed Sarah a bag of dried raisins and another with dried apricots. Toby got a bag of dried cranberries and one with dried plums.

“I need thirty-five raisins, thirty-five cranberries, ten apricots and ten plums. Count them out and then put them all into the bowl, please. There are more than enough in the bag, so feel free to eat some if you like.”

They nodded again, beaming, and got to work.

Once the meat was neatly cut into cubes, Kurt seared the meat on all sides and then added beef stock, curcuma and cumin, and the vegetables. He thanked Sarah and Toby for their help with the dried fruit, and gave Toby a box with Lego bricks from the living room cupboard to play with, and Sarah a jewellery making set. He gave them strict instructions to be quiet and not to wake up Blaine, and then went back to the kitchen.

Half an hour later, Toby shouted that Blaine had woken up, sounding so proud and elated that Kurt had to laugh.

The next thing he knew, warm arms enveloped him from behind and warm breath tickled his neck.

Kurt turned his head, smiling happily. “Hey sleepyhead!”

Blaine’s head was a riot of curls and he looked a bit drowsy still. He cuddled against Kurt, asking what he was making for lunch. Kurt told him, and put him to work, which Blaine did without a murmur.

Somehow, the conversation shifted to Finn hosting a bro night, and Blaine being invited. That left a sour taste in Kurt’s mouth. Finn never invited Kurt. Kurt always heard about the bro nights from Rachel, who called Kurt on these occasions to suggest a sleep-over with the girls to escape the excessive testosterone levels.

He said as much to Blaine, who scoffed at that and said that Kurt, as Finn’s brother, didn’t need an invitation and was welcome any time. And then he used his irresistible puppy dog expression to coax Kurt into coming along with him to the bro night.

Kurt grudgingly agreed to go, cringing at the thought of the uncomfortable night he was sure to have.

K&B

Kurt and Sarah were doing the dishes after lunch when Blaine suddenly asked: “Have you checked on the laundry?”

Kurt’s non-plussed face must have tipped Blaine off that Kurt had no idea what Blaine was talking about. Blaine disappeared to the laundry room, announcing that he’d be right back.

When Blaine came back, Kurt asked for an explanation, and he was astounded to hear that Toby had kept Blaine up half the night.

_I never noticed a thing! I slept like a log until morning! Why didn’t they wake ME? After all, I’m their REAL uncle … Blaine is amazing though, taking care of everything like that and not minding it in the least. He’s going to be the world’s best dad someday, and I hope I’m still in the picture when that happens._

K&B

During Toby’s afternoon nap, Kurt sewed the black-and-white bow ties he’d cut the fabric for earlier. Blaine was sketching, and Kurt found himself distracted time and again, because he was itching to see exactly what Blaine was drawing. He got his chance when Toby woke up and asked to see Blaine’s drawings. They all piled onto the sofa and Blaine thumbed through the sketches and told the stories behind each one.

 

When Toby started complaining he was hungry - no question whose son he was in that respect - Kurt made filled crêpes for the four of them, and then it was time to go to the Hudson-Berry’s.

_Bro night … Yay … I hope they won’t get all disgusted if I cuddle with Blaine._

Rachel welcomed them with [warm](http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4l5cmJUkM1qgmrui.gif) [hugs](http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131123220954/glee/images/b/b1/Blainchel_anderberry_hug_blaine_rachel.gif). There was apprehension in her voice when she asked whether the children had been good, as if she, like her husband, was concerned that Sarah and Toby had deprived Kurt and his boyfriend of their quality time together.

_I wouldn’t worry about that if I were you, Rach … Blaine seems to have the time of his life even when he’s woken up at four in the morning and has to strip beds and fill washing machines and soothe and wash and dress children all before his first cup of coffee. A man in a million, he is … I got really lucky!_

Kurt repressed a snort when he heard Blaine answer that Sarah and Toby had been good as gold.

_Well, I guess apart from Toby waking Blaine up so early, they really have been good. They were very quiet and they didn’t quarrel even once. Must be the Blaine effect …_

“Are you coming to Tina’s with me?” inquired Rachel. “We’re having a girls’ night in.”

Kurt shook his head. “As much as I’d love to, I can’t. Finn invited Blaine for the bro night, and Blaine wants me to stay with him.”

Rachel’s eyebrows went up.

“I know,” sighed Kurt. “I’ll try and make the best of it.”

Rachel patted his arm comfortingly and ushered everyone in.

Blaine, who had clearly been eavesdropping, took Kurt by the elbow. “Hey … I’m sure we’ll have fun. You’re not into football, so if they start talking about that, you just switch the topic to cars, okay? You’re very knowledgeable about cars, and it’s a very manly topic.”

Kurt cocked his head to the side. “True. I could ask Jake if his old truck is still doing okay. There’s always something wrong with it, but we Hummels always manage to make it run smoothly a while longer.”

“And you may not like zombie games, but you always kick my ass at Mario Kart,” continued Blaine.

Kurt smirked. “You have a point there.”

“And you don’t like action movies in general, but you do like James Bond,” Blaine stated triumphantly.

Kurt nodded.

“So I think you’ll be just fine,” Blaine finished.

Finn, who had picked up both of his children and swung them around as though they were on a merry-go-round, came to greet them. “Hey guys! Thanks for looking after the kids!”

“You’re welcome,” said Kurt a bit stiffly.

“You’re staying for bro night, aren’t you, Blaine?” Finn asked.

“We both are,” grinned Blaine.

Finn’s head swivelled towards Kurt, and yes, he looked shocked. After a moment, though, [he beamed as if he’d just received the best birthday present ever](http://36.media.tumblr.com/d994a06bc8e436e66cd52614bd07efdb/tumblr_n5yf664og11sooveso1_500.png), and offered first Blaine and then Kurt his fist to bump. Blaine did so with enthusiasm and a wide grin, Kurt rather tentatively. Still, it felt wonderful that Finn was so ready and so pleased to include Kurt.

Blaine winked at Kurt. “See? Told you so. You’re just as welcome as I am, and we’ll have a great time.”

They followed Finn to the den, and Kurt introduced Blaine to everyone. The guys seemed surprised that Kurt had joined them for their bro night, but like Finn, they were happy to see him, and soon, Kurt was catching up with all of them, and telling them how he and Blaine had met, and that he was thinking of moving to Westerville.

Finn ordered pizzas for all of them, and though Kurt didn’t often pig out like this, he didn’t complain and ate a few slices.

They played poker, and Kurt won two games out of five. He skipped Call of Duty, preferring to talk to Sam, who was thinking of popping the question to Mercedes, but wanted some advice on how to propose. “You know what makes her tick, man. And I’m sure she’s discussed rings and weddings and stuff with you, so help me out, please.”

Kurt was only too happy to help, squealing internally at how happy Mercedes would be.

Then Blaine came to fetch Kurt for a game of Mario Kart, and Kurt trashed everyone at Mario Kart except Puck.

When they settled into the sofas to watch a movie, Blaine remarked casually that he and Kurt hadn’t seen the latest James Bond film yet, so Finn obligingly put it into the DVD player.

Kurt and Blaine were the last to leave Finn’s house, and Kurt was sporting a broad grin when he wished Finn goodnight.

Blaine was right. They’d had a splendid time.


	68. Tough Decisions

“ _I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun_.” (Jane Austen _, Pride and Prejudice_ )

Sunday was a lovely lazy day, with only one tense moment, when Blaine brought up Kurt’s search for a suitable commercial property. “It’s been a few weeks now, and you’ve looked at places all over Westerville … And Wes told me there was this one place you definitely liked.”

Kurt looked at him, perplexed. “You know my realtor?”

“I was at school with him,” Blaine clarified. “Both in elementary school and at Dalton. We played soccer together, too. He’s a good friend. I don’t see him as often as I used to, but we try to have lunch together once a month, and then we catch up. We had lunch last Tuesday, and I told him about you, and he said he knew you and was currently helping you look for a property.”

“I see,” drawled Kurt, not entirely pleased that Wes has been discussing Kurt’s property search with Blaine.

“So tell me about that place you liked,” Blaine coaxed Kurt.

“Well …” Kurt trailed off, thinking of the best way to describe it. “It’s a bit like this house, I guess, only a lot smaller. It’s airy, it’s well-kept, there’s plenty of natural light coming in and the floors and the ceilings are beautiful. I’m sure I could turn it into an [elegant shop](http://www.ladyrebecca.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/book-shop.jpg).”

“So what’s the catch?” asked Blaine.

“Well, as I said, it’s a lot smaller than my house here,” Kurt explained. “The downstairs part would be the shop, the upstairs part would be my workroom, and the attic would be my storage area. There’s no additional space for me to live. That’s the problem. I want a building that’s large enough to combine a shop with a living area.”

Blaine looked bewildered and a bit hurt. “Why do you want living quarters above your shop?”

Kurt frowned at him. “Well, that’s exactly why I’m moving here, isn’t it? So that I can live closer to you! What’s the point in me having a shop here when I have return to Lima in the evening? I want to live here to avoid commuting every other day.”

“Yes, I know,” Blaine nodded, “but I thought you’d come and live with me.”

_Wait … What?_

“You … You’d like me to move in with you?” Kurt asked, honestly stunned.

“Uhm, yes?” Blaine clarified tentatively, the “yes” sounding more like a question than like an affirmation.

_Huh? After little more than a month?_

Kurt bit his lip, trying to come up with an answer that wouldn’t hurt Blaine’s feelings.

“Blaine, honey,” he rasped. His mouth was suddenly very dry, and his skin prickled uncomfortably. “Please don’t take this the wrong way. I don’t want to hurt you, baby, really, I don’t. But … At this point, I don’t think I’m ready to move in with you.”

Kurt saw Blaine cave in on himself as if Kurt’s words had struck a physical blow, and cursed himself inwardly.

Kurt put his hands on Blaine’s shoulders, and squeezed them lightly.

“Blaine,” he pleaded softly, “look at me, sweetheart.”

Blaine looked at Kurt, and [the mute misery Kurt read in his eyes was heart-wrenching](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m30hp2zuMI1r4a4u3o3_250.gif).

“I truly care about you,” Kurt declared earnestly. “I love what we have. I love spending time with you. I love having you sleep over and I love sleeping over at your place. And I can see us moving in together in the future. It’s not that I will never want that, I promise you it’s not. It’s just … For me, it’s too early. I want some time apart from you as well. Time that I mostly spend either working or rhapsodising about you to my friends or family, true,” he chuckled drily, “but I need that, right now. Just being able to come home to my own place after a date with you and do embarrassing stuff like kick my feet and giggle into my pillow for half an hour at how handsome and dapper and sweet and just generally perfect you were. Being able to sigh and zone out for ten minutes because you sent me a sweet text. Being able to do a silly victory dance off-screen when we’re done Skyping because you complimented my outfit, which I’d painstakingly planned to wow you. I never had a relationship as a teenager, and I think that’s catching up with me now, as weird as that sounds. I need to grow up a little in this respect, grow into this relationship to get to the point where you already seem to be. Tell me, if the roles were reversed … If I asked you to move in with me, to come live here in Lima, would you?”

Blaine, who’d been listening attentively, a smile flitting across his face every now and then, looked at Kurt with wide honest eyes. “I would, yes. In a heartbeat.”

“Even if that meant you’d have to commute to Westerville every work day?” Kurt continued.

“Yes. It would be worth it.”

The sheer determination and conviction in Blaine’s voice [made Kurt tear up ](http://31.media.tumblr.com/657764d399c0ab607a2d4a4b94ac883f/tumblr_inline_n78sezUAWn1ssflgq.gif)and feel rather inadequate.

_What did I ever do to deserve such a devoted boyfriend? Blaine is so committed to this - to us … Why am I holding back? Blaine is just as new to this as I am, and yet he wouldn’t hesitate to move in with me. I think he’d do anything for the people he loves. He’s so selfless. Wait … Do I really think he loves me? Already? Yes. Yes, I do. I may doubt myself, but not him. He loves me._

That realisation made Kurt beam at Blaine and kiss him passionately. Then, as soon as he’d caught his breath, Kurt asked: “Can I think about it? Could you give me some time before I make my decision?”

Blaine was clearly caught off-guard, both by the kiss and by the question, but when it sank in, his eyes brightened and he nodded fervently. “Yes, of course. Take all the time you need. I know it’s a big decision.”

K&B

Another two weeks went by, and Kurt visited the property he liked several more times, inspecting every nook and cranny, measuring and planning and sketching the shop as he envisioned it.

Wes had come along the first time, standing there patiently while Kurt ran here and there and everywhere, a measuring tape in his hands, a notepad tucked into his belt and a pencil behind his ear, muttering and gesturing.

Then Kurt had turned to Wes and asked: “Can I come back here tomorrow? I think this one is it for me, I just have some more things to check, both here and upstairs.”

Wes had wordlessly handed him the key to the property.

Kurt raised an eyebrow. “You trust me to come here on my own?”

Wes nodded. “Don’t make me regret it. But I think you’re right. You’ve found the right place for you, and if today was any indication, you’ll spend weeks in here, planning everything to your heart’s content before you make the final decision.”

Kurt’s cheeks flushed. “I just want to make sure I can fit everything I want and need in here.”

Wes chuckled. “I know. I would be the same. No rash decisions. You’re very different from Blaine in that respect. He always jumps in head first. Yin and yang, you two.”

“Yes …” Kurt trailed off. “Can I please ask you NOT to discuss me and my property search with Blaine? When I make my decision, I want to tell Blaine about it myself.”

Wes looked properly chastened, and promised not to breathe a word about it to Blaine.

Kurt took his time painstakingly checking and double-checking everything, and he found he was right. The building would be a perfect fit for his shop. It was in a good neighbourhood, too, and not too far from where Blaine lived. Only … He wouldn’t be able to live above the shop.

He’d given some more thought to matter since Blaine brought it up, and if he was honest with himself, it wasn’t so much that he didn’t want to live with Blaine. They co-existed so effortlessly that Kurt didn’t fear they’d start irritating one another with their annoying little habits if they decided to move in together and spend every single day together. Should there be a problem, they were both mature enough to talk things out and not let them fester. Kurt had every confidence in that.

No, his hang-up was that he’d have to move in with Blaine. Blaine’s apartment was lovely, absolutely, but there was only one bedroom and next to no closet space. Whenever he stayed over, he lived out of his suitcase, and most mornings, he had to iron the crinkles out of his clothes before he could so much as put them on. He couldn’t imagine himself doing that for too long without blowing up about it, so he had better come clean to Blaine and tell him the true reason for his hesitancy.

So, really, the question was: would Blaine agree to look for a house together?

He crossed his fingers and hoped that the answer would be yes. He’d looked into his heart these past few weeks, and admitted to himself that he was head over heels for Blaine. He loved him and was in love with him, irrevocably, and if Blaine were to leave him now, whatever the reason, he’d be devastated. Blaine was “it” for him. His Mr Right. His perfect match. His soul mate. That realisation was as scary as it was exhilarating.

K&B

Kurt came back home after a long day in Westerville. He’d finally made his decision. He’d gone to Wes’s office and signed the papers and given Wes a cheque for the down payment. The property was his.

The next step now was contacting Puck for the work that had to be done before the store could open. The electricity and plumbing seemed okay, but he wanted Puck to take a look at it anyway. He wanted Puck’s opinion on the general structure of the building and the roof as well. He also wanted double-paned glass everywhere, only he wanted to keep the beautiful stained-glass windows at the storefront. He’d have Puck check the attic as well, and insulate it further if needs be.

And then there was the interior of the shop and the workroom, of course. He had very specific ideas as to what it should look like, and he was positive Puck and Jake could pull it off. They’d fixed up his shop in Lima, too, after all, and they’d done a wonderful job.

Kurt checked his mailbox and was pleased to find in it a brown parcel with the stamp of his publisher. Finally!

Kurt shrugged out of his coat and hung it up with a weary sigh. He sat down on the couch, opened the parcel and shook out the book that was in it with a pleased grin, taking no notice of the enclosed letter, which fluttered to the ground, half under the couch.

He went to his desk and took out his fountain pen to write a message on the flyleaf of the book, and then looked for some wrapping paper to gift-wrap it. He concealed Blaine’s Christmas gift in his desk.


	69. First Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick warning for smut at the end of this chapter ... If you wish to avoid it, stop reading when they get to Kurt's place, okay?

# Chapter 69: First Time

“ _Do I love you? My God, if your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches._ ” (William Goldman, _The Princess Bride_ )

Blaine heard Rachel invite Kurt to the girls’ sleep-over, and heard Kurt decline the invitation regretfully.

He pulled Kurt aside and gave him some pointers to bend things to his will during the bro night, managing to convince Kurt that he’d fit in with the bros a lot better than he feared.

_Now if only Finn is supportive and shows that he’s glad Kurt is staying too._

Finn seemed to have heard Blaine’s silent plea, for his reaction was everything Blaine could have hoped for. Kurt’s tense shoulders visibly loosened, and a genuine smile appeared on his face when he saw how truly happy his participation made his brother.

Kurt was greeted with happy surprise by the rest of the bros. They obviously hadn’t been expecting him, but they welcomed him with open arms, and soon Kurt was completely relaxed, chatting and laughing, joining in the fun and games effortlessly and wowing everyone with his prodigious skill at [poker](http://favim.com/orig/201107/16/bad-boys-boy-cory-monteith-cute-damn-glee-Favim.com-107308.jpg) and Mario Kart.

In the end, it was Blaine who told Kurt he was tired and wanted to go home, and Kurt only reluctantly agreed when Sam and Puck said they were heading home as well.

Blaine had had a lovely time. He especially liked Sam, who seemed just as nerdy as he was and discussed comic books and fantasy novels with Blaine, and Mike, who was energetic and fun and genuinely nice.

But the best part of the evening was that Kurt had enjoyed every minute of it, just as Blaine had predicted.

K&B

On Sunday, they stayed in bed until almost noon and then packed away a huge brunch. They were sitting on the couch sharing some grapes when Blaine decided to bring up the subject.

Kurt had been searching for a place in Westerville to open a shop in for a few weeks now, but he hadn’t really discussed with Blaine how that was going. When Blaine asked, all Kurt would say was that he hadn’t found the right place yet, but that he would keep looking until he did.

And yet … Blaine had met up with [his friend Wes ](http://d3rm69wky8vagu.cloudfront.net/article-photos/large/4.158213.jpg)the other day, and while chatting about everything and nothing, Blaine had of course mentioned that he was seeing someone, and told Wes all about Kurt. As soon as Blaine mentioned Kurt’s full name, Wes’s eyebrows shot up.

“The same Kurt Hummel who’s currently looking for a commercial property here in Westerville?” asked Wes.

Blaine nodded, perplexed.

“I’m his realtor,” explained Wes. “So you’re the reason Kurt is relocating then?”

Blaine blushed and ducked his head. “I guess …”

Wes smiled at him. “I’m glad you found someone. He seems nice. He’s picky, though. He has this very clear vision of what he wants, and he won’t stray an inch from it. A perfectionist.”

“Takes one to know one,” chuckled Blaine, and Wes nodded, conceding the point.

“There’s this one place he wants to visit again,” mused Wes, “I think it would suit him very well, but ultimately, it’s up to him, of course.”

So why hadn’t Kurt told Blaine about this place he liked?

Kurt seemed rather irked to be interrogated about the subject, and only reluctantly described the property to Blaine. It sounded good, absolutely. So why hadn’t Kurt snapped it up immediately?

Apparently, the only fault Kurt could find with it was that it was too small and offered no room for living quarters. But why would Kurt want those in the first place? The whole idea behind Kurt relocating was for him to move in with Blaine, wasn’t it?

As soon as Blaine had mentioned Kurt moving in with him, he wished he hadn’t. Kurt looked positively bewildered, as if the thought had never crossed his mind.

_Why did I blurt that out? Now he’s going to feel pressured, and either he’s going to agree to moving in with me but he will come to resent me for it, or he’s going to tell me that this is too much too soon and that he can’t deal with someone as clingy as I am and break up with me._

Kurt took his time formulating an answer. He had tensed up, his eyes looked haunted, and he was wringing his hands.

_Uh-oh … This isn’t good … Why couldn’t I just have kept my mouth shut and let things progress naturally?_

It came as no surprise to Blaine that Kurt turned down his offer. Still, it hurt.

_I guess I’m just never going to be enough for anybody. As much as they love me, I’m a disappointment to my parents, and Coop keeps finding fault with me too. So it stands to reason that someone as perfect as Kurt wouldn’t want to live with me on a daily basis. I do hope he won’t cut his losses and run, though. I hope he’ll give me another chance._

Kurt came closer and held Blaine by the shoulders, imploring Blaine to look at him.

_Am I going to be let down easy?_

No, he wasn’t. Kurt burst into an impassioned speech, assuring Blaine of his affection and promising Blaine that he did want them to live together one day, only not just yet. That lightened Blaine’s heart considerably.

And then Kurt asked: “Tell me, if the roles were reversed … If I asked you to move in with me, to come live here in Lima, would you?”

_Well, that’s a no-brainer …_

“I would, yes. In a heartbeat,” Blaine admitted honestly.

“Even if that meant you’d have to commute to Westerville every work day?” Kurt insisted.

“Yes. It would be worth it.”

The sheer range of emotions that flitted across Kurt’s face after that assertion was astounding. He looked overwhelmed, in awe, unsure and contemplative, and then it was as if the sun broke through the clouds. Kurt’s expression cleared, his mouth curved into a breath-taking smile and his eyes shone brightly. He reeled Blaine in, kissed him with surprising fervour, and then asked Blaine for some time to consider his offer.

_So I didn’t ruin everything by bringing this up far too early? Kurt will honestly consider it? Wow. That’s good. That’s splendid. Well, I won’t bring up the subject again. The ball is in his court now._

K&B

True to his word, Blaine didn’t mention Kurt’s property search again. Their half-and-half arrangement continued for another few weeks, and Blaine enjoyed the time he spent with Kurt and tried to suppress any longing for more.

Christmas was fast approaching. He didn’t think he’d be spending it at the Andersons’. He hadn’t heard from his parents since his father had sent him a few irate texts on Thanksgiving, angry that Blaine had failed to show up. He hadn’t felt any remorse over it, as he might have done before. He’d made his point clear: he and Kurt were a package deal now, and as long as his dad couldn’t accept that, Blaine would keep his distance.

Blaine had already picked out a Christmas gift for Kurt: a [beautiful blue scarf ](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/34/cd/98/34cd98105a719b1d44b7eced64a2c3ac.jpg)that would bring out the colour of his eyes. He just hoped Kurt wouldn’t already have a similar scarf in his extensive wardrobe.

It was Friday, and Blaine was running late. Juliet had begged him to take over her afternoon surveillance duty because she had a doctor’s appointment, and while the parents or grand-parents usually picked up their children promptly, especially on Fridays, neither of Emma’s parents had yet shown up, and it was past five o’clock already.

Emma looked both guilty and sad to be stuck here at school for so long after everyone else was gone. Blaine had given her one of his books to read, and told her she could keep it, which garnered a watery smile.

Blaine had texted Kurt that he had surveillance duty, and he’d texted him again at 4.30 PM, the time they usually set out to Lima, to tell him he was stuck here with a child that hadn’t been picked up yet. He was just about to text Kurt again, to tell him he could leave on his own and Blaine would follow as soon as he could, when Kurt walked into Blaine’s classroom.

“Hey,” breathed Blaine.

Emma looked up from the book she was reading, curious.

Kurt gave Blaine a quick hug. “Hey.”

He didn’t seem angry.

“This is Emma,” Blaine introduced the girl. Then he turned to Emma. “Emma, this is my boyfriend Kurt Hummel.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr Hummel,” Emma murmured politely.

“Likewise,” answered Kurt. “Is that one of Mr A’s books?”

Emma nodded enthusiastically.

“So what is it about?” inquired Kurt. “I haven’t read any of his books yet.”

Emma looked quite shocked at this revelation, but retold the story with much aplomb, forgetting for a moment where she was and why.

Around half past five, they heard running footsteps, and Emma’s father came storming in, red-faced, out of breath and frantic. “I had a meeting … and it ran over … the discussion got heated … and I totally forgot … about picking up Emma … So sorry … baby girl …”

He hugged Emma, and she promptly burst into tears, clinging to him like a koala. “I was … I was so scared … that you wouldn’t … wouldn’t be coming for me … at all.”

As soon as Emma and her father had left, Blaine and Kurt locked up the school, ran to Kurt’s car and left for Lima, Blaine apologising over and over again, until Kurt told him to stop it. “It’s not your fault. You were just doing your duty.”

“Did you tell Burt we’d be late?” Blaine asked.

Kurt nodded.

“He won’t be angry, will he?”

Kurt shook his head and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “Stop worrying.”

They arrived in Lima at half past seven and went straight to the Hudmels’. They found that the others had waited to eat until they would arrive. Blaine started apologising again, but Burt shut him up gruffly. “Stop saying sorry and eat, will you? Seriously, it’s no big deal.”

Rachel brought up the subject of Kurt moving his shop, but to Blaine’s chagrin, Kurt deflected the question deftly.

When they left and got into the car to head to Kurt’s place, Kurt shot Blaine a quick glance and a smirk. “I know you were glad Rachel asked if I’d found a place yet, and disappointed when I didn’t say anything.”

Blaine shrugged and put his seatbelt on.

“I wanted to tell you first.”

Blaine’s head shot up.

_Wait … Is he saying what I think he is?_

“I’ve decided to buy the property I told you about. I signed the papers on Tuesday.”

Blaine gaped at Kurt. “But you said you wanted a shop with living quarters?”

Kurt sighed. “I’ve done some thinking, and I’ve come to the realisation that I do want to live with you. Only, I’d feel more on an equal footing if we could look for a house together, instead of me moving in with you. Would that be okay?”

Blaine, too overcome to formulate a sentence, nodded.

Kurt took his hand. “Hey … If you don’t want that, there are other options, you know?”

Blaine shook his head quickly and let the words tumble out of his mouth as fast as they would come. “No, no! I’d love for us to look for a house together. It’s just … This is …”

Blaine let out a sound between a laugh and a sob. “This makes me so happy. But … Why now? Three weeks ago, you said you weren’t ready?”

Kurt nodded. “I know. But the more I thought about it, the more it felt right, you know? Starting a new phase with you. I’ll admit that it still scares me, and that it is soon for us to make such a big decision. But …”

Kurt glanced at Blaine again, his lips curving into a soft smile and his hand gripping Blaine’s more tightly. “I love you, Blaine. I love you and I want to be with you and live with you.”

That left Blaine speechless again, eyes brimming with tears and a heart beating so wildly that it seemed on the verge of jumping right out of his chest. Blaine swallowed convulsively and choked out: “I love you too. So much.”

Blaine raised their joint hands, kissed Kurt’s hand, and then held it against his cheek, basking in the glorious feeling of being loved.

When Kurt parked the car and they got out, [Blaine pulled Kurt towards him and laid a kiss on him that expressed everything he could not find words for at the moment](http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/glee/images/e/ea/Klaine_compainion.gif/revision/latest?cb=20130715154130). Blaine only stopped when he felt Kurt go pliant against him, and rested his forehead against Kurt’s to catch his breath. His head swam and his heart sang, and those three words he’d so carefully kept hidden in his heart came floating to the surface again: “I love you.”

Kurt’s eyes slowly fluttered open, and a wealth of emotion swirled in those stormy sea depths. “I love you too. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of saying or hearing that.”

They kissed again, losing themselves in one another until Kurt shivered violently. “Why are we doing this outside when we’ve got a perfectly warm living room, or better yet, a cosy warm bed? I vote for the bed, and less clothes.”

Blaine laughed, and Kurt joined in, and they hurried inside and up the stairs. As soon as they were in the living room, Blaine threw his coat over the hallstand haphazardly, toed off his shoes and announced: “Last one in bed is a rotten egg!”

Kurt, who’d been taking his coat and shoes off a bit more demurely, gave a startled laugh. Then, when Blaine tugged his cardigan, shirt and undershirt over his head in one go and threw it onto the couch, Kurt started to giggle.

Blaine shimmied out of his pants and raced towards the bedroom, Kurt’s delighted peals of laughter following him.

It didn’t take long for Kurt to show up in the bedroom, too, stripped down to his boxers. A gleam sprang into his eyes when he saw Blaine spread out for him on the bed. He took off his boxers and stalked towards Blaine with all the grace of a jungle cat, crawling over him.

Blaine pulled Kurt down and claimed his lips for a kiss. They made out for a while, and then Blaine asked tentatively: “Kurt?”

“Yes?”

“Would you make love to me?”

Kurt’s eyes widened. “You want to …”

“Only if you want to as well,” Blaine hedged.

Kurt grinned and nodded, crawling to his nightstand for supplies and grabbing a pillow. He sat up between Blaine’s legs, spreading them a bit wider and easing the pillow under his lower back. “Are you sure you want to bottom for your first time?”

“Positive,” replied Blaine. “I won’t lie, I’m nervous. But I’m ready for this. I want you inside of me, making me complete.”

“I’m nervous too,” admitted Kurt. “I’ve only ever fingered myself, and not very often at that. You’ll tell me if you feel uncomfortable or if you are in pain, won’t you? I really don’t want to hurt you. I’ll be as gentle as I can, I promise.”

Blaine just smiled. “I trust you.”

Kurt bit his lip and clicked open the bottle of lube, coating his fingers and letting out a soft curse when he spilled some of the liquid on the sheets. Then he hovered over Blaine and kissed him deeply, before trailing kisses down to Blaine’s nipples and working them over until they were hard as pebbles and Blaine moaned loudly. Then down Kurt went, dipping his tongue into Blaine’s belly button and wow, that tickled!

And then Kurt was licking the head of Blaine’s cock, and Blaine moaned again. Without warning, Kurt’s mouth sank deep over his shaft, and Blaine’s eyes rolled back in his head from how amazing that felt.

Then Blaine could feel a finger softly rubbing his perineum and tease his entrance. He tried to relax as much as he could, focusing on the warm wet heat around his cock, and managed not to tense up when the finger slid inside slowly. Kurt moved it around experimentally and then slid in a second one. That burnt a little, but then Kurt happened to brush against Blaine’s prostate, and the jolt of electricity that shot through Blaine then completely cancelled out any pain he might have felt, and he whispered hoarsely: “Again. Please.”

Kurt giggled but complied, and soon Blaine was asking for more fingers and moving his hips to take them deeper.

“I think … I’m ready now,” Blaine gasped, and Kurt sat up, nodded and swallowed. He took his fingers out, leaving Blaine with an uncomfortable empty feeling for as long as it took to roll a condom on and slick it up. Then he lined up against Blaine’s entrance and slowly pressed in.

_Wow, did I really say I was ready just now? Ow, ow, ow, this burns. This is so intense._

“Could you … stop there … for a second?” Blaine panted. “Just … hold still?”

Kurt froze, and after a while, Blaine got used to the feeling and relaxed further. “Okay, go on.”

Kurt gently pushed in further until he bottomed out. “Still doing okay?”

It sounded strained. Blaine assessed how he felt and hummed a positive response. “You can move.”

Kurt started with tiny thrusts at first, which became deeper as he grew more confident. Blaine wound his legs around Kurt’s waist, and that made Kurt hit just the right spot every time. After just a few more thrusts, Blaine cried out in ecstasy, and Kurt followed suit.

Kurt collapsed onto Blaine, who wrapped his arms around Kurt’s waist and nuzzled his hair, feeling light and floaty and perfectly content.

“That was wonderful,” sighed Kurt blissfully.

“Mmm, it was,” Blaine agreed.

“Quick clean-up?” Kurt asked, reaching for a pack of wet wipes on his nightstand.

“Mmm,” Blaine hummed, half asleep already.

He felt Kurt clean off his stomach. Moments later, Kurt settled into Blaine’s arms again.

Just when Blaine was on the cusp of drifting off, Kurt slurred sleepily: “Blaine?”

“Yes?”

“We’re not going to make this a habit, strewing our clothes about.”

Blaine chuckled. “Of course not. Want me to go pick up the clothes and fold them?”

Kurt seemed to think it over, and then decided: “No, it can wait until tomorrow. Good night, sweetie.”

“Goodnight, love.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”


	70. Blaine Finds Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the title says, Blaine finds out that Kurt is his favourite writer, and he doesn't take it well. Warning for angst!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so so sorry to do this to you while you're already dealing with the end of Glee today, but ... This chapter contains the big reveal and Blaine's reaction to it - diva walk-out and all. Don't worry too much, though, I won't draw this out any longer than necessary ...

“ _The world was a terrible place, cruel, pitiless, dark as a bad dream. Not a good place to live. Only in books could you find pity, comfort, happiness - and love. Books loved anyone who opened them, they gave you security and friendship and didn't ask anything in return; they never went away, never, not even when you treated them badly._ ” ([Cornelia Funke](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15873.Cornelia_Funke), [_The Inkheart Trilogy: Inkheart, Inkspell, Inkdeath_](https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/6874450) _)_

Blaine woke up with just as huge a smile on his face as when he had gone to sleep. Last night had been perfect in every way, and Kurt loved him. He loved him!

That called for a nice celebratory breakfast, so Blaine carefully detached himself from Kurt’s embrace, tucked Kurt back in and headed to the kitchen.

The living room was still littered with their shoes and clothes, as they had been in such a wild frenzy yesterday, and then had fallen asleep straightaway.

 _Look at this mess! I’ll tidy it all up after breakfast_ , Blaine promised himself. _Kurt is right. We shouldn’t make this a habit._

Humming a Frank Sinatra tune, he busied himself in the kitchen, making coffee, pressing oranges for juice and making sunny-side-up eggs with bacon and buttered toast. He put everything on a tray and headed back to the bedroom, whistling cheerfully.

Halfway through the living room, though, Blaine stepped onto a shoe lying on its side two feet from the couch, and lost his balance for a moment. Luckily, he managed to keep the tray level. Only a teaspoon clattered to the floor.

Blaine sighed and put the tray on the couch. Then he crouched to pick up the spoon. As he reached for it, he saw a piece of paper under the couch. It looked like a letter. Maybe Kurt had dropped it by accident and needed it back. So Blaine took the letter and smoothed it out, planning on leaving it on Kurt’s desk without reading it, but a few words jumped out at him and made him gasp, and his resolve not to invade Kurt’s privacy crumbled there and then. He just had to know what this was about, so he read the entire letter. It said:

_Dear Kurt,_

_Here’s an advance copy of your latest novel. I have to say I love your new detective, and I’m glad he’s going to stick around for a while. And I think Mark Easterbrook fans are going to be thrilled that your new book has a love story in it! I hope you’re planning to keep Charles around, too, in your next novels. He’s a very interesting character, and he suits Devon to a T._

_Looking forward to your next manuscript - sometime around May? This novel will hit stores just in time for Valentine’s Day :-)_

_Regards,_

_Kevin_

Blaine sat down on the couch heavily, paying no attention to the tray. The coffee sloshed over the rims of the cups, but he didn’t notice. He sat there stone-faced, fragments of the letter running through his head.

However confused he felt about this - why would Kurt have kept this a secret from him? - there seemed to be no doubt that Kurt was the writer of the Mark Easterbrook novels. That would explain why Kurt always deftly changed the topic whenever Blaine rhapsodised about Mark Easterbrook, and why an uncertain and apprehensive half-smile played on Kurt’s lips whenever he caught Blaine reading one of his novels. It wasn’t jealousy at all. It was guilt over keeping mum about this, about not trusting Blaine with this knowledge.

And why didn’t Kurt trust him enough to tell him? Why? That hurt even more than the deception. The fact that Kurt didn’t deem him worthy of knowing this. Blaine felt as though his heart had just been ripped out and stomped on, and that fuelled his anger and spurred him into action. He grabbed his clothes and shoes from the floor, and started pulling them on with jerky furious movements, walking towards Kurt’s bedroom.

Kurt was still asleep, smiling slightly and looking like a dishevelled angel. Blaine’s abrupt entrance woke him up with a start. He smiled drowsily at Blaine and beckoned him.

Blaine, however, was having none of that. Brandishing the letter in his hand, he blurted out: “You’re Mark Easterbrook. It says so, right here!”

Kurt blinked, looking absolutely flummoxed. Somehow, that incensed Blaine even more. He threw the letter right at Kurt and thundered: ““When were you planning on telling me, huh? Or weren’t you ever going to tell me? Don’t you trust me at all?”

Kurt said nothing. He just continued staring at Blaine with a dumbstruck expression.

Blaine turned his back on Kurt without another look or word, finished dressing himself and high-tailed it out of Kurt’s bedroom and apartment before he burst into tears, slamming the door behind him with a satisfying thud.

K&B

Half an hour later, Blaine sat on the bus to Westerville, a picture of despondency, staring out of the window without seeing anything that passed him by.

 _Typical_ , he thought. _Just when I thought I’d finally found true happiness, something happens to ruin it for me. I knew it was all too good to be true. Maybe I’m just not meant to have a relationship. Maybe I should just stay single to avoid getting hurt like this again._

A few times, he roused himself enough from his abstraction to be gallant, first offering an old lady his seat, and then helping a young mother with a stroller onto the bus, but he didn’t let himself be engaged in a conversation, just staring moodily at the floor or out of the window, scowling and sighing every now and then.

He could feel the old lady’s gaze on him, and when he glanced up, he saw her beady eyes twinkle.

“Woman trouble?” she inquired.

Blaine scowled even harder and didn’t answer. He wasn’t in the mood to be insulted and shunned for being gay, on top of everything else.

“You’ll sort it out,” she reassured him kindly. “You’re a nice man. She’d be a fool to let you go. Don’t give up on her, all right? Sulk a little if you must, but then talk it out.”

He gave her an infinitesimal smile and then looked at his feet again.

_Maybe I should have let Kurt explain. I just stormed out before he was even fully awake. Ah well … What’s done is done. If he has anything to say, he knows where I live._

K&B

When Blaine came home, he put on an old T-shirt and sweatpants and dug out his punching bag and boxing gloves. He turned his stereo loud and boxed until he collapsed from exhaustion. Then he ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, showered and took a power nap.

After half an hour, refreshed but no happier, Blaine got up and did his household chores, tears threatening every time he came across something that belonged to Kurt or reminded Blaine of him.

He went out grocery shopping, and apart from the necessities, he also ended up buying a large box of cronuts that was on sale and two pints of Ben & Jerry’s.

Blaine spent the afternoon sketching for his new book, but found himself distracted time and again, doodling Kurt in the margins of every sketch he made. Kurt smiling. Kurt scrunching up his nose. Kurt laughing. Kurt gesturing and talking enthusiastically. Kurt sleeping. Kurt dancing.

At last, he threw his sketch book and pencil on the kitchen table in disgust, took the box of cronuts with him to the sofa and mindlessly watched some television, munching away.

His phone beeped loudly again, as it had several times while he was sketching, but Blaine chose to ignore it. Moments later, he heard Katy Perry announcing an incoming call. He didn’t answer. The caller was persistent, though, and his phone kept repeating the same song fragment until Blaine silenced it.

_So not in the mood for talking right now._

Blaine went through half of the cronuts and then felt slightly nauseous. He put Toy Story on, but couldn’t concentrate on the film.

He took his well-thumbed copy of “Breathless” and sank back onto the sofa with it with a satisfied sigh, intending to read his troubles away, before he remembered that this was a Mark Easterbrook novel and let it fall onto the floor as though it had burnt him.

Blaine didn’t really want to see or do anything else, so he slouched to the bathroom, where he brushed his teeth and put his pyjamas on. Then, as early as it was, he went to bed, cradling a pillow in his arms that still slightly smelled like Kurt, and cried himself to sleep.


	71. The Truth Is Out

# Chapter 71: The Truth is Out

“ _Doubt thou the stars are fire;_

_Doubt that the sun doth move;_

_Doubt truth to be a liar;_

_But never doubt I love._ ”

(William Shakespeare, _Hamlet)_

Kurt fiddled his fingers nervously.

_Of all the days for Blaine to be late …_

Kurt was planning on telling Blaine he’d bought the property after the Hudmel Friday Dinner, but they were cutting it close. It was five PM already, and they were expected at the Hudmels’ at seven PM.

_That’s it, now I’m going to Hawthorne to see what’s taking Blaine so long. I’ll park right in front of the school so that we can leave right away._

Kurt walked into the school and into Blaine’s classroom.

Blaine gave Kurt an apologetic smile and whispered “Hey”. He introduced the girl he was looking after as Emma. She was reading a book with pictures that looked quite familiar in their style and colouring, and Kurt asked if it was one of Blaine’s books, and made her tell him the story. That made her perk up and transform into a true-blue performer in no time. Clearly, weekly story time with Blaine rubbed off on the children, in the best possible way.

When the story was nearing the end, Emma’s father finally turned up, full of apologies, and five minutes later, Kurt and Blaine were racing to Lima as fast as the speed limits allowed.

Kurt had warned Burt that they’d be arriving a little later, so when they got to the Hudmels’, everyone was there but hadn’t started eating yet.

“You know Finn,” explained Carole. “We couldn’t risk him finishing off all the food before you even got here.”

Kurt was on tenterhooks all through dinner, wanting it to end already so that he could have his conversation with Blaine, and had to bite his tongue so as not to snap when Rachel asked him how his house hunt was going.

_I want to tell Blaine first, Rachel. I’ll tell the rest of you afterwards._

They left soon after dessert, Kurt claiming he had a headache.

In the car, Kurt broached the subject.

Blaine clearly hadn’t been expecting Kurt to talk about it after brushing Rachel off when she brought it up at dinner, and he most certainly hadn’t been expecting Kurt to buy the same property they had talked about before. “But you said you wanted a shop with living quarters?”

Kurt sighed.

_Okay, man up, Hummel, and ask him._

“I’ve done some thinking, and I’ve come to the realisation that I do want to live with you. Only, I’d feel more on an equal footing if we could look for a house together, instead of me moving in with you. Would that be okay?”

_Please say yes. Please say yes._

Blaine didn’t say anything, and Kurt quickly back-tracked, telling him there were other possibilities.

That spurred Blaine into speech, assuring Kurt that he’d love to look for a house together, and that he was overjoyed, but just a bit surprised at Kurt’s sudden change of heart.

Kurt tried to explain, and then, when he looked at Blaine again, who had stolen Kurt’s heart so effortlessly and who made him feel so much so soon, out tumbled those three little words before he could panic and clam up again: “I love you, Blaine. I love you and I want to be with you and live with you.”

Blaine didn’t respond immediately.

_Uh-oh … Is he freaking out? I know I am … I so didn’t mean to let that slip out yet, though it’s 100% true._

Blaine swallowed thickly - _Wait, what? He’s crying? Did I say anything wrong?_ \- and then confessed: “I love you too. So much.”

And now Kurt understood the tears, because he felt like crying too, and laughing, and shouting, and singing.

_He loves me too!_

Kurt had been reasonably sure of that, but really hearing it was something else altogether, and he felt as if his heart could burst from joy.

Blaine sweetly kissed Kurt’s hand and held it against his cheek, as if he craved closer contact, even for the short time it took to get to Kurt’s house.

And then, when they got out of the car, Blaine pinned Kurt against it and claimed his lips in a kiss that left Kurt’s head woozy and his legs wobbly, after which Blaine declared: “I love you.”

_Can I hear that another million times, please?_

They kissed some more, until Kurt got too cold and demanded they go inside and continue this in bed, so they ran up the stairs as fast as they could, giggly and exhilarated.

And then Blaine, who seemed in a playful mood, started stripping right there in the living room, without a care where his clothes landed, and shouted: “Last one in bed is a rotten egg!”

That was surprising, to say the least. Blaine was usually just as meticulous as Kurt in folding or hanging up his clothes carefully. Kurt decided not to be a spoilsport and to join in the fun.

When he strode into the bedroom, Blaine was already lounging on the bed, his delectable body completely on display. Kurt crawled over him, and their mouths found each other again.

After a while, Blaine pulled back, an eager but vulnerable look in his eyes, and asked Kurt to make love to him.

_Wow! Really?_

“You want to …”

“Only if you want to as well,” Blaine qualified in a small voice.

_Of course I do …_

Kurt felt a wave of excitement and nerves go through him. He beamed and nodded at Blaine, and grabbed everything they needed. Then, just to make sure there were no misunderstandings, he asked: “Are you sure you want to bottom for your first time?”

_That’s what he meant with “make love to me”, right?_

Blaine confirmed that was exactly what he meant, and confessed to being nervous.

_Me too. I hope I don’t hurt you. I’m as new to this as you are._

Kurt decided to get Blaine’s body nice and relaxed first, finding all his sweet spots and working them over until Blaine panted and squirmed on the sheets. Then Kurt paid attention to Blaine’s cock, engulfing him with his mouth and taking him as deep as he could.

At the same time, Kurt moved his lubed fingers towards his goal, and stretched Blaine as gently and thoroughly as he could manage. When he had two fingers in, he found Blaine’s prostate, and Blaine really seemed to like that, pleading for more. Kurt continued up to four fingers, and now Blaine was clearly getting into it, thrusting his hips up and throwing his head back, and then whispering: “I think … I’m ready now.”

Kurt swallowed.

 _Okay, this is it. I really hope I won’t hurt Blaine_.

He prepped himself quickly and slowly pressed in. He saw Blaine grimace.

_Uh-oh, it hurts anyway! Sorry, baby, sorry, sorry, sorry …_

Blaine asked Kurt to stay still for a second, and Kurt obediently didn’t move a muscle until Blaine gave him the green light to move again. Kurt pushed in further and checked with Blaine if he was doing okay.

_Wow, this feels incredible. I’ll just stay still again for a moment before I’ll embarrass myself by coming right on the spot._

Blaine told Kurt he could move, and Kurt started out with small movements at first, gaining in speed while gaining confidence. And then Blaine wrapped his legs around Kurt, taking him even deeper, and wow, Kurt was a goner, barely hanging on by a thread and desperately hoping Blaine wouldn’t take too much longer to reach his climax. Thankfully, Blaine tipped over the edge in mere minutes, and Kurt let go as soon as he felt Blaine clench around him.

Kurt, feeling completely boneless from the most intense orgasm he’d ever experienced, fell on top of Blaine. Blaine didn’t seem to mind being smothered by his boyfriend. He wrapped Kurt safely into his arms and let him float back to Planet Earth at his leisure.

As soon as Kurt was capable of rational conversation again, he breathed: “That was wonderful.”

Blaine agreed sleepily.

Kurt took the condom off and took some wet wipes to clean both of them up a little. Showering would have to wait until tomorrow.

_Oh, maybe just make one thing clear, though …_

Kurt took care to stress that the haphazard throwing about of their clothes was just a one-time thing in the heat of the moment.

Blaine chuckled, but agreed, and offered to go fold everything up neatly.

_See … Now that’s why I love you … Let’s just sleep, though, we’re both comfy and tired._

K&B

When Kurt next opened his eyes, he saw Blaine standing in front of the bed. He smiled and crooked his finger at Blaine, wanting him to come back to bed. Blaine didn’t budge. Slowly, Kurt’s head cleared enough to notice that Blaine was half dressed, gesturing and talking a mile a minute. He looked … angry?

_What’s going on?_

And then Blaine threw something at him - a letter? - and yelled: “When were you planning on telling me, huh? Or weren’t you ever going to tell me? Don’t you trust me at all?”

Kurt still wasn’t following. Taken by surprise, he could do no more than stare at Blaine, gaping like a fish and feeling his heart sink.

_What’s this all about?_

He glanced at the letter and saw that it was a note from his editor, about his new Mark Easterbrook novel.

_Oh. So that’s why he’s angry. I guess I have some explaining to do._

Before Kurt could formulate a sentence, though, Blaine was fully dressed and stalked to the front door, slamming it behind him when he left.

Kurt put his palms over his eyes and sobbed.

_What do I do now?_


	72. With A Little Help From My Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still a bit of angst in this chapter, sorry ...

# Chapter 72: With A Little Help From My Friends

“ _The course of true love never did run smooth_.” (William Shakespeare, _A Midsummer Night's Dream_ )

At long last, Kurt sniffled and got up to go make some coffee in the kitchen. He didn’t get any further than the couch in the living room, where he found the breakfast Blaine had so lovingly prepared for the both of them, and burst into tears again. He took the tray to the kitchen table and managed to eat some of it, though he didn’t have much appetite.

Mostly, he sat there berating himself. Why hadn’t he just told Blaine at the Halloween party? That seemed like ages ago now, but he remembered that they had been talking about the film adaptation of “Breathless”, and Kurt had owned up to having played the character of Argyle. Why hadn’t he come clean then?

Well, he’d been scared. He still was. He’d deluded himself into thinking there was something between him and Sebastian, when there so clearly hadn’t been anything but lust and instant gratification, and he’d been hurt as a result. That had left a scar. He didn’t easily trust people, and the fact that Blaine was a Mark Easterbrook fan made him uneasy. Very uneasy. So at that moment, he’d thought: _what if I let myself fall in love with Blaine to later find out that Blaine feels nothing more than admiration for me?_

So it seemed a better option not to mention it, and to get to know Blaine first. In hindsight, he might have known Blaine would be hurt when he found out. Puck had warned him, hadn’t he?

It had been selfish and stupid of Kurt to conceal this from Blaine. He sincerely hoped this wouldn’t cause an irreparable rift between them.

Kurt sighed and reached for his phone, dialling Blaine’s number. It went straight to voicemail. Maybe Blaine’s phone was switched off, or maybe Blaine just didn’t want to talk to Kurt right now. Kurt left an apologetic message on Blaine’s voicemail, then, realising Blaine might delete it without even listening, typed out the same message as texts and sent them to Blaine one by one, hoping that Blaine gave them at least a cursory glance.

Kurt showered, dressed and straightened up the living room. Then he took the gift-wrapped book out of his desk and a box of coq au vin out of his deep-freezer and drove to Westerville. When he got to Blaine’s apartment building, one of Blaine’s neighbours just came out. He recognised Kurt, smiled and nodded, and let him in. Kurt climbed the stairs to Blaine’s apartment and knocked. Nothing happened. He knocked again, several times, and said “Blaine, it’s me. Please let me in.” for good measure.

The door stayed resolutely closed. Kurt laid his ear against the door and heard the pounding beat of music.

_Oh. His music is probably too loud for him to hear me. What do I do now? Who else do I know in Westerville?_

His thoughts went to Wes first, but he quickly dismissed that option. Wes had proved loose-lipped once before, not to mention that his loyalties undoubtedly lay with Blaine. When Wes heard the story, he would probably be very angry with Kurt and not inclined to help him.

But he did know someone else who could help him. Someone who owed him a favour. He scrolled through his contacts and dialled the number.

“Hello?”

“Jeff? This is Kurt Hummel speaking.”

“Hey Kurt. What’s up?”

“I’m in Westerville. Can we meet up? I’m cashing in that favour you owe me.”

K&B

They met in a coffee house, and when Jeff had heard the whole story, he whistled long and low. “I can understand why B’s angry. You’ve broken his trust, man, by keeping this from him.”

“I meant to tell him at Christmas,” admitted Kurt sheepishly. “But now I wish I’d told him from the very beginning.”

Jeff nodded, his expression thoughtful. “So now you want my help sorting out this mess?”

“Yes, please.”

“Okay.”

“You’re … you’re not angry with me?” asked Kurt.

“Oh, yes, I am,” Jeff assured him, “but I also know that you made Blaine happier than he’s ever been, so I don’t want you two to break up over this. Klaine has the potential to be just as epic and fabulous a love story as Niff. Well, you come close, anyway.”

Kurt let out a sound between a chuckle and a sob. “Klaine?”

“That’s your ship name, man,” Jeff explained. “Both of your names smashed together.”

Kurt sipped from his coffee. “So what should I do? I went to his apartment just now, but he didn’t hear me knocking. He had loud music on.”

“He’s probably boxing,” mused Jeff. “And then he’ll clean the apartment from the top to the bottom, and then he’ll do his grocery shopping and buy all sorts of comfort food, and then he’ll be watching stupid TV shows pigging out until he’s sick, and then he’ll cry himself to sleep. Happens every time his father gets his back up. It’s no use trying to talk to him today. It’ll take a few days before he gets out of this funk, and until then, he won’t listen to reason. Give it ‘till Wednesday.”

Kurt’s face fell. “Oh …”

“What were you planning on saying anyway?” Jeff inquired.

“I was going to tell him I’m sorry, so sorry, and that I was planning on telling him at Christmas, and that I should have done so long before,” Kurt recited haltingly. “I’ve brought his Christmas present, and I wanted him to have it now. I brought food, too. I was hoping we could talk it out over lunch.”

“Not going to happen.”

“So much I gather,” Kurt sighed dejectedly.

Jeff patted his hand. “Never fear, we’ll get this sorted out. I’m thinking we should do this in two stages. You’ll stay out of the picture during the first phase. Give him space. Don’t flood his mailbox and voicemail. That will do more harm than good. I’ll take charge. He’s more likely to let me in. Besides, I have his spare key.”

“Uhm, okay?”

“So you want to give him this present?” Jeff asked. “Write a note to go with it, and give it to me. I’ll deliver it in person. And then, for phase two, you might want to contact your New Directions friends.”

K&B

Kurt looked at the assembled New Directions alumni and swallowed. They had all come to his house, the men lured by the promise of good food, the women by the promise of secrets that would be revealed.

“What’s this all about, Lady Lips?” asked Santana, looking concerned. “You look like a pregnant teen who’s scared of telling her parents she got knocked up.”

Everyone laughed, and even Kurt managed a weak chuckle.

“No, seriously,” continued Santana. “You’re pale as a sheet, and trembling, and probably seconds away from throwing up. What’s the matter?”

Kurt took a deep breath and surreptitiously wiped his clammy hands on his pants, for once not caring about possible stains.

_Okay, here goes. Let’s hope they won’t all hate me after I’m done talking._

“I called you all here because I have something to tell you,” Kurt began. “Several things, in fact. I should have told you long before, and I’m truly sorry I didn’t. I hope you can forgive me. As to why I’m telling you this now, it’s because Blaine found out about it and was understandably upset with me for keeping it a secret from him. He ran away and won’t talk to me, and I can’t blame him.”

“Wait,” Puck interrupted. “Is this about Mark Easterbrook, dude?”

“Among other things,” confirmed Kurt.

“Who’s Mark Easterbrook?” asked Kitty. “Are you two-timing Blaine with this guy? That’s not cool, Kurt!”

“What? No, no, I’m not,” Kurt huffed indignantly.

“You actually know Mark Easterbrook and you never told Blaine?” yelled Tina.

“Well, yes, sort of,” Kurt hedged.

“How can you ‘sort of’ know someone?” inquired Rachel. “You either know him or you don’t!”

“People, please!” Kurt shouted in exasperation. “This story will be hard enough to tell without you constantly interrupting! Just try and hear me out, okay? You can rant as much as you like afterwards.”

Rachel and Tina, suitably chastened, shut up and nodded.

“My story starts when I was eight, and I lost my mother. I didn’t understand, and I refused to accept that she was suddenly gone. So I was a terrible brat to my dad, refusing to let him touch me, refusing to talk to him, refusing to eat, until he was so desperate that he agreed to letting my aunt Mary bring me up. So I moved to LA, where my aunt lived. She and my uncle were talent agents, and they saw something in me and got me a role in a TV series, A Tree Called Life.”

Kurt heard several quiet gasps, but didn’t acknowledge them, barrelling on.

“I stayed on the show for eight years, until I was sixteen. I had a sweet sixteen party that went horribly wrong, and paparazzi got wind of it and took pictures, and I was so very ashamed that I wanted to just disappear. So I came back to Lima.”

Kurt swallowed with difficulty.

“And I had a hard time here at first. The bullying was hard to take, and I didn’t have any friends until I joined the glee club. So my creative outlet was writing. I wrote stories. Thrillers, specifically. And I found a publisher who wanted my stories. Only, I told him he couldn’t use my real name to put on the books. I chose Mark Easterbrook as a pseudonym, because ‘The Pale Horse’ is my favourite Agatha Christie novel.”

“YOU’re Mark Easterbrook?” gasped Tina. “But why didn’t you tell Blaine? I told you he was a fan when I introduced you to one another!”

“I know,” Kurt acknowledged sheepishly. “I was scared to tell him, because I liked him.”

“So?” Tina demanded, hands on her hips, her expression fierce.

“So I wanted him to like me for me, not because I was a celebrity crush of his,” Kurt admitted.

Tina’s eyes softened, and Rachel patted Kurt’s arm. “He does, sweetie.”

Kurt smiled at her tremulously.

“Let me get this straight,” Santana piped up. “You’re a famous child actor and an equally famous writer.”

“Uhm, yes?” Kurt confirmed hesitantly.

“And you didn’t want to know us about this,” Santana continued. “Why exactly?”

Kurt squirmed. “I didn’t want you to look at me differently. I don’t want to be famous. I’m content to be just an ordinary guy and to go through life invisible and unnoticed.”

To Kurt’s surprise, everyone laughed.

“Kurt, honey, you have never been ordinary,” Quinn smiled.

“And with the clothes you wear, and your hair, and the way you walk,” Sam continued, “everyone notices you. Why should that be a bad thing?”

“True,” Mercedes nodded. “You are you, and what you are is absolutely fabulous. Should you hide that? Hell to the no!”

She went up to him and wrapped him up in a comforting hug.

“Thanks, ‘Cedes,” murmured Kurt, “I’m so glad you decided to come home early for your Christmas break. I love you.”

“I love you, too, boo,” Mercedes crooned, kissing Kurt’s temple.

Kurt peeked at her timidly. “You’re not mad at me?”

“No, honey, I promise you I’m not,” Mercedes assured him. “This makes no difference to me. You’re still the same Kurt.”

Kurt looked at the others, bracing himself for their reactions, but they were nodding and smiling.

“Group hug, everyone?” shouted Finn.

And Finn swooped Kurt up and swung him around effortlessly, as though he weighed as little as Sarah or Toby, and then everyone was crowding in and patting and hugging Kurt, Brittany loudly declaring that she loved Kurt cuddles.

Tina was the last to hug Kurt, and she did so a bit stiffly, hissing: “You will make things right with Blaine, do you hear me? Honestly, he’s head over heels for you and is probably heartbroken right now, my poor boo …”

“I will, Tina, I promise,” Kurt vowed solemnly. “Guys, can I have your attention for one more minute?”

The New Directioners looked at him expectantly.

“So, I told you that Blaine is really furious with me, and I want to apologise to him in every way that I can. I have an idea, but for that I will need your help. Can I count on you? Please? I can’t lose him over this, I just can’t!”


	73. Trust and Dedication

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The very talented @datshitrandom made me a book cover for "Winding Ways"! Isn't it GORGEOUS?!

# Chapter 73: Trust and Dedication

“ _Roger, you don't know what it's like to be in love. It's hellish—and heavenly--and terrible--and exquisite. Oh, Roger, why don’t you fall in love?_ " (Lucy Maud Montgomery, _A Tangled Web_ )

Blaine moped around at home for the rest of the weekend and in school for a few days. His colleagues, feeling that something was wrong, did their best to cheer him up. It wasn’t hard to figure out, he had to give them that. He looked like a zombie, because he barely slept at night, tossing and turning, alternating between anger and sadness. He came to school with his hair unkempt and wearing sweats and a T-shirt that had seen better days.

Every morning, either Tina or Jeff brought Blaine coffee and a muffin or Danish, correctly guessing that he hadn’t eaten yet, and at lunch time, they forced him to eat a few bites as well. Jeff and Nick had taken to coming by in the evenings and either just dropping off food or inviting themselves for a TV marathon at Blaine’s place and making sure Blaine ate.

The incident was never far from Blaine’s thoughts, festering and plaguing him. He needed someone to confide in. Tina and Jeff were out, because they knew Kurt and would go blabbing to him. Chelsey, Rose and Juliet were out, because they would go blabbing to Tina. That left Nora. She was level-headed and dependable and Blaine was sure she wouldn’t breathe a word of this to anyone else. So on Wednesday afternoon, while Nora was supervising the school yard, Blaine poured out his heart to her, and then looked to her for counsel.

“Why on earth would he keep it a secret from me?” asked Blaine. He really couldn’t fathom Kurt’s motives, and it hurt so much that Kurt apparently didn’t trust him enough to tell him.

Nora sighed. “Don’t take it so much to heart, Blaine, please. This is not worth losing your boyfriend over. As to why Kurt never mentioned it and maybe even actively concealed it from you, I think it’s to do with his celebrity status.”

“Celebrity status?” repeated Blaine questioningly. He’d never even told Nora about Kurt’s past as a child actor.

“Well, Mark Easterbrook is quite a household name, you know,” explained Nora. “Even I have heard of him, and read some of his books. I bet he has loads of fans, and from what you’ve told me about Kurt, I gather that he’s an introvert, who’s been through a lot, so he wants to stay far away from the craziness of the fandom. So it’s no wonder he’s on his guard all the time. I don’t think he meant to keep it a secret forever. I just think he’s been waiting to tell you about this until he was entirely certain about your feelings for him and your trustworthiness. In other words, he wanted to make sure that you weren’t just a stalkerish fan but someone who loved him for himself.”

Blaine’s mouth fell open.

_Oh … That makes sense, I guess. Why did I just run out on Kurt without letting him explain first? Why did I react like a drama queen?_

Blaine sighed. He knew why. It had cut him to the bone when he’d seen the letter and figured it out. He’d felt so betrayed and deceived that his eyes had burned with angry tears and that he’d lashed out at Kurt mercilessly and then run to the bus stop on the market place, where he completely lost it and was reduced to a pathetic sobbing mess.

If he was honest with himself, though, Kurt had seemed uncomfortable and apprehensive any time the subject of Mark Easterbrook came up. Blaine had always taken that as jealousy, but it was possible that Nora had judged the situation right. He had been laying it on thick with the fanboying, and maybe that had scared Kurt.

Would he have behaved differently towards Kurt if he’d known from the beginning? Yes. Yes, he would. They wouldn’t have talked so freely. They wouldn’t have gotten so close. They would never have been together.

Blaine gave a sigh so deep that it seemed to come all the way from his toes.

Nora patted him on the shoulder comfortingly, her eyes sympathetic. “You’ll figure this out. Together. Let Kurt explain himself. Please don’t let this ruin what the two of you have. I’ve seen him with you and that boy is just as crazy in love with you as you are with him. Don’t throw it all away for a fit of the sullens. And don’t wait too long or you’ll lose him forever.”

Blaine gulped and nodded. “You’re right. Thanks for your insights and your advice, Nora.”

“Anytime, sweetie,” answered Nora, and then she fixed him with a stern stare over her half-moon glasses. “Now go fix this.”

Blaine dejectedly made his way home and slumped on the sofa.

K&B

A few hours later, somebody knocked on the door, and Blaine reluctantly got up from the sofa and opened the door. It was Jeff.

“Hey Blainers. I won’t stay and bug you, but I brought you food,” Jeff announced, stepping inside and putting a plastic bag wafting a delicious aroma on the coffee table. “Make sure you eat it, and go to bed at a decent hour. We’ve got a meeting about the next music gathering tomorrow, and I want your input.”

“Okay, I will,” promised Blaine, his stomach rumbling in agreement.

“Oh, and this came in the mail for you,” said Jeff, thrusting a rectangular parcel into Blaine’s hands. “Bye, bestie, see you tomorrow!”

He waved at Blaine and let himself out.

_That was weird. Why did he rush out like that?_

Blaine shook off the thought and focused on the parcel in his hands. It was clearly a book, but smaller in size than his storybooks, and it wasn’t sent by his publishing company. It was simply wrapped in brown paper, his name and address hand-calligraphed on the front in turquoise ink.

His curiosity piqued, he opened the parcel carefully, and found a letter and a book wrapped in cheerful Christmas-themed wrapping paper. He put the book on his coffee table and sank onto the sofa with the letter. It was written in the same turquoise ink on handmade Dior grey writing paper. The note was short and to the point. It said:

_Dear Blaine,_

_I meant to give this to you for Christmas, but now there’s no use in waiting, and I want you to have this as soon as possible._

_I apologise for not telling you my secret. I promise you that I do trust you. I trust you with everything I am and everything I have. In my defence, I was planning on telling you soon. I’m sorry you had to find out this way._

_Love,_

_Kurt_

Blaine swallowed thickly, and then turned to the book. He peeled the layer of wrapping paper off and gasped. It was the new Mark Easterbrook thriller that was set to come out half February. It was called “Winding Ways”.

He opened the book, and there, on the flyleaf, was another note, in a darker shade of turquoise.

_My dear sweet Blaine,_

_Tina and Puck both told me that an autographed copy of a Mark Easterbrook novel has been on your wish list for years._

_So here’s a very exclusive gift for Christmas: the only signed Mark Easterbrook novel in existence. There has never been one, and there will never be another._

_This is especially for you, my most dedicated fan and the love of my life._

_I love you._

_Sweet kisses,_

_Kurt, a.k.a. Mark Easterbrook_

Under that was an elegant, loopy signature finished off with x’es and little hearts.

There was a postscript:

_P.S. Check out the dedication :-)_

He turned to the page with the dedication. There, in bold black letters, it said:

_Until now, I never saw the appeal of using the same detective over and over again to solve my murder mysteries. The detectives I used, occasionally showed some characteristics of my father or my brother, but I never really had a man to model my ideal detective after. Now I do, so get used to Devon Bergensen. And I’d like to dedicate this book to my real-life inspiration: Blaine Anderson._

Blaine exhaled shakily, tears streaming down his face at this point. He’d been so furious when he found the letter under the couch and figured out that Kurt was Mark Easterbrook. He’d been so disappointed that Kurt apparently didn’t trust him enough to tell him that. But all along, Kurt had been planning to. He’d gotten Blaine an advanced copy for Christmas. He’d written a special message for him on the flyleaf. He’d even dedicated the book to Blaine.

_Well, now I feel like a class A jerk._

He slumped further down on the sofa and groaned.

_How on earth am I going to fix this mess?_


	74. Don't Ever Look Back

# Chapter 74: Don’t Ever Look Back

“ _If I could but know his heart, everything would become easy_.” (Jane Austen, _Sense and Sensibility_ )

The next morning, Jeff bounced up to Blaine with coffee and a chocolate croissant, and raised an eyebrow at his fresh-out-of-bed look and the way Blaine could hardly keep his eyes open.

“Haven’t you sulked long enough by now?” Jeff asked bluntly. “I know you’re angry with Kurt, but you need to snap out of it, man. It’s been nearly a week!”

Blaine’s ears flushed red with embarrassment.

“I did,” Blaine assured Jeff sheepishly. “I mean, I have. It’s just … the book that was in the mail yesterday … I started reading and I couldn’t stop until I’d finished it. It was so good, man! That’s why I have barely slept and just rolled out of bed at the last minute this morning. It was rather late … or early, I guess … when I finished reading.”

Jeff rolled his eyes.                                                             

“Well, that’s a good sign,” Juliet commented off-handedly. “Once you start enjoying your favourite pastimes again, you’ll get over your break-up really soon.”

Blaine whipped his head around so fast he hurt his neck. “What? Kurt and I didn’t break up!”

Juliet and Chelsey seemed surprised to hear that.

“Then what’s with the grumpy zombie routine?” Chelsey wanted to know.

Blaine had the grace to blush. “Kurt and I did have a fight, yes. And I didn’t want to talk to him, but I’m miserable without him.”

“Well then …” Chelsea pushed on, “be the bigger man and take the first step to patch things up. Unless he cheated on you. As I told Juliet, if he did it once, he’ll do it again.”

Blaine looked at her with wide eyes. “No. No, no, no! He didn’t cheat on me. He lied to me.”

Chelsea chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully. “That’s not good. Was it about something important?”

“It was important to me,” Blaine insisted.

“No, no, I mean,” Chelsea hastened to explain, “now that you know the truth, does it affect your relationship? Does it make you look at him differently? Does it make you like him less?”

Blaine thought that over and then shook his head. “No. Not at all. I just wish he’d told me before.”

Chelsea nodded with satisfaction. “Then I think you’re golden, and you should probably text him before he thinks the two of you are completely over and he moves on.”

Blaine looked aghast at the very thought, and Jeff and Chelsea grinned at one another, glad that the possible consequences of his sulky silence had dawned on Blaine at last.

_Kurt wouldn’t give up on me so soon, would he? He said he loved me … And I never told him we were over, I just … froze him out and ignored him and deleted all his messages. Uh-oh … Yes, I guess opening the lines of communication again is in order. Only … What shall I say?_

Inspiration struck him, and Blaine typed:

**To: Kurt Hummel**

Thank you for the copy of Winding Ways, I loved it.

**To: Kurt Hummel**

I was up all night reading it.

**To: Kurt Hummel**

I like Charles. Please make him stick around in your next books.

Blaine stowed away his phone in his pocket, and hurried to class, hoping that Kurt would answer sometime that day.

K&B

At lunch, Jeff announced: “Nick and I are going out to a karaoke bar tomorrow, and you’re coming along. No excuses, no long faces, no moaning and groaning. This week has been a drag, so we’re going to let loose and have FUN.”

Blaine quirked an eyebrow at Jeff’s decisive tone. “I was actually going to try and call Kurt tonight and apologise for running out on him and not talking to him for so long, and then asking him out on a date tomorrow night.”

Jeff was adamant. “No! Who’s been picking up the pieces after you all week? Me, that’s who!”

“And me!” interjected Tina, but Jeff gave her a warning glare that quelled her.

“So your estranged love can wait another day,” Jeff continued. “There’s still Saturday and Sunday to get your mack on. That gives you more time to plan the perfect date.”

“But he’s going to think …”

“No buts. Except the one you’re going to dress up in your tightest pants tomorrow to show it off dancing.”

Juliet and Tina giggled and Blaine turned crimson.

“We’ll pick you up at seven,” Jeff stated. “We’re going to eat there, and make sure we arrive before the crowd, so that we can pick the songs we like, and sit where we like.”

Blaine nodded meekly, resigning himself to waiting a day longer to see Kurt again. Hopefully. He could still call though. Would Kurt pick up the phone?

As if Kurt had heard what Blaine was thinking just now, Blaine’s phone announced the arrival of a new text message.

**From: Kurt Hummel**

I’m glad the book arrived okay, and I’m glad you liked it :-)

Blaine’s heart leapt up.

_Does this mean Kurt isn’t angry with me?_

Blaine hastened to type a reply.

**To: Kurt Hummel**

Can I call you tonight? Phone or Skype?

Kurt must still have had his phone in hand, because the response came immediately.

**From: Kurt Hummel**

I’ll have to take a rain check, sorry, swamped with work tonight :-(

That deflated the happiness Blaine had felt at Kurt answering his texts.

**To: Kurt Hummel**

Okay … I’ll let you work then. Let me know when you’re free to talk?

**From: Kurt Hummel**

I will :-)

_Well, if I go by Kurt’s emoticons, I’d say he’s not avoiding me but really and truly busy. All right then … So how am I going to apologise to him and assure him I’m still very much committed to him and invested in us? I think I’ll call in on Wes after school today …_

K&B

Blaine came home with a much lighter heart and more spring in his step than he’d had for days. Wes had helped him tremendously, and then Blaine had run and called around until every plan he had for his perfect date on Saturday was set in motion. He hoped he’d have talked to Kurt before then, and that Kurt would be up for it. If not … Well, he wasn’t even going to entertain that notion. Positive thinking all the way!

In the same spirit, he tidied and cleaned his apartment thoroughly, restocked his pantry and fridge and picked out an outfit for the karaoke night with Niff.

Exhausted, he curled up on the sofa, jumping up again when he heard his phone ring where it lay on the kitchen table. He nearly fell over a kitchen chair in his haste to pick up his phone.

“Hello?”

“Hey man, it’s Ryder. I’m coming home for Christmas, wanna hang out some time? Westerville is okay for me, or you could come up to Columbus?”

Blaine’s face fell for a second. He’d been hoping it would be Kurt calling. Then he remembered Florian and how much he was struggling with the fact that he was dyslexic, and how apprehensive he was of his friends laughing at him. He poured out the story to Ryder, who made sympathetic noises throughout and then asked: “So what would you have me do? Talk to this kid one-on-one, or talk to your whole class to make them aware of the problem and tell them how they can help Florian?”

Blaine laughed. “You know me so well. Thanks for volunteering before I could even ask! And the answer is probably a bit of both. Come and speak to my third-graders one morning, and then when it’s break time, come and play soccer with us in the school yard. Florian is brilliant at soccer, so be sure to point that out to him and the other boys, that will give his self-esteem a much-needed boost. You’re coming home tomorrow evening, I take it? How long are you staying? Would you have time to come by the week after the holiday break?”

They agreed on the Wednesday after New Year’s Day. Just when they were wrapping up the conversation, Ryder remarked: “Was something wrong with your phone, man? I’ve been trying to reach you since last weekend, but your phone was always off, and you never called me back.”

Blaine felt ashamed. “No, my phone is fine. I wasn’t, though.”

“Oh …” Ryder’s tone was commiserating. “Parents getting on your nerves again?”

“No … Well, they are, but … I don’t really care anymore, at this point. No. The radio silence was because I had a fight with my boyfriend.”

“Wow! I don’t talk to you for a few months, and all of a sudden you have a boyfriend?” Ryder sounded excited. “I should call you more often. I’m really out of the loop. Tell me all about it!”

Blaine grinned and complied.

“What about you?” Blaine asked Ryder. “Have you met anyone special?”

“No … I’m beginning to think I’m too picky, you know. There are loads of girls who ask me out, and sometimes I say yes, and I have fun, but none of them feels right for me. There’s never a spark.”

“Too bad,” Blaine sighed. “Hey, I’m going to a karaoke bar tomorrow night with Nick and Jeff. Want to come along?”

“Oh man …” Ryder chuckled. “I haven’t sung in ages. Might as well come with you guys, though, I want to catch up with Niff. What time?”

“Niff are picking me up here at seven.”

“Okay, I’ll be there.”


	75. I Hurt Myself By Hurting You

# Chapter 75: I Hurt Myself By Hurting You

_“I blinked a few times and pulled my gaze up to his eyes. Through the pain, he smiled at me._

_“Break my heart. Break it a thousand times if you like. It was only ever yours to break anyway.”” (_ Kiera Cass _, The One)_

Kurt looked around and gave a satisfied nod. Everything was in place and looked amazing, the food was ready, and the New Directions were on stand-by.

 _Perfect_ , he thought. He felt his sore back and arms voicing their protest, but silenced them. Yes, he’d been working tirelessly for days on end and had slept in a sleeping bag on the bare floor for the same amount of nights, but that was irrelevant. All that mattered now was making things right with Blaine.

Kurt felt his phone buzz and looked at the new messages he’d just received.

**From: Jeff Sterling**

Kurt, we’ll be there in 15 minutes.

**From: Jeff Sterling**

Please don’t freak, but there’s going to be four of us.

**From: Jeff Sterling**

Will you have enough food to swing that?

**From: Jeff Sterling**

Blaine invited a friend. Don’t get jealous, Ryder’s straight.

Kurt raised an eyebrow, but wrote back:

**To: Jeff Sterling**

Don’t worry, I made plenty.

Kurt went to check on the food and made himself scarce.

Fifteen minutes later, the four men came in. The one called Ryder was taller than Niff and Blaine, with the build of a football player, and if his clothes were anything to go by, then yes, he was definitely straight.

Madison greeted them and brought them to a table, taking their drinks order.

She hurried to Kurt and relayed it, and Kurt quickly fixed the drinks and a platter of appetizers.

Madison served the drinks, and Kurt saw Blaine close his eyes and hum appreciatively when he tried the appetizers. He’d made everything from scratch, and it was delicious, if he did say so himself.

After half an hour, Kurt sent Madison back to Blaine’s table with the plates of lasagne. Blaine’s eyes shone in happy anticipation when he saw his favourite dish. Then he took his first bite and froze, the fork still in his mouth.

_I knew he’d recognise my cooking. He’s tasted my signature lasagne too often for him not to recognise it._

Kurt saw Blaine look around him uncertainly and kept out of sight. _Not yet._

Blaine focused on his plate again, shovelling bites into his mouth with joyous abandon and finishing the lasagne at record speed.

Kurt waved Madison over. “Go and ask him if he wants seconds.”

Madison relayed the message, and Blaine’s eyebrows went up. Then he smiled and nodded.

He took longer over the second portion, savouring every bite, and again curiously looking around.

Niff stopped after one portion, but Ryder requested seconds, too.

While Blaine and Ryder were still eating, Niff flagged down Madison and conferred with her. She took them to the karaoke machine.

_Hey, what’s this all about? We never agreed to this?_

Nick tapped the microphone Madison had handed to him. “Uh, hello? Jeff and I are going to kick off the karaoke part of this evening, and we would like to dedicate this song to our friend Blaine and his boyfriend Kurt.”

The music started, and Kurt recognised “She Loves You”, by The Beatles, and had to suppress a hysterical fit of giggles. Really?

Niff changed the ‘she’ to ‘he’ though, and Kurt thought he saw Jeff smiling at him encouragingly during the song.

_Oh, it’s a message, is it? Blaine’s not mad at me anymore? That’s good news. That makes me slightly less nervous at the thought of my own performance. Very slightly._

“He loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah …

With a love like that, you know you shou-ou-ould … be GLAD! Yeah, yeah, yeah …

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah …”

Niff ended with a flourish and headed back to their table, where Ryder high-fived them and announced loudly that he wanted to sing as well.

“You’ll have to wait for your turn,” said Jeff decisively and just as loudly. “Eat your dessert first.”

Madison hurried towards Kurt, who took the cinnamon ice cream out of the freezer and added a scoop of it to all four dessert plates, crumbled a spice cookie over the ice cream and then nodded at Madison to take the plates to the table.

Blaine’s eyes widened when he took in the dessert, and he spooned up some ice cream and tried it. Then he took a bite of apple crumble with ice cream and spice cookie crumbles on top. His eyes fluttered closed and Kurt could see him moan in appreciation.

Kurt grinned happily.

_“The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” is very apropos when it comes to Blaine. I hope he’ll like the song just as much as the food …_

Kurt sighed, swallowed nervously, and then signalled to his friends. _Show time_.

Madison started humming, went to Blaine’s table, tapped Blaine on the shoulder and handed him a yellow-tipped red rose. He accepted it, looking bemused.

Madison moved to the stage and kept humming.

Her brother Mason now moved towards Blaine, handed him a yellow rose and went to the stage, harmonising with Madison.

Other New Directioners followed, until Blaine was holding a sizeable bouquet in fiery colours, and Kurt had to come out of hiding and sing. He took a deep breath and took the stage.

“This is for Blaine,” Kurt announced, and really, did he have to sound like one of Cinderella’s mice at a moment like this?

Blaine, his nose buried in the flowers he’d received, started violently when he heard Kurt’s voice and whipped his head around eagerly. His eyes shone when he noticed Kurt, and his mouth curved into an adoring smile.

_I guess it’s not a totally lost cause then. Good._

Kurt started to sing, and Blaine’s smile only widened when he recognised the song.

“I was him, he was me,

We were one, we were free,

If there’s somebody, calling me on,

He’s the one …”

Kurt ended the song, still staring straight at Blaine, but rooted to the spot. He felt someone nudge him in the back, but for the life of him, he couldn’t move.

Blaine got up from his chair, and wow, Kurt’s hands were clammy all of a sudden, and he was trembling like a leaf. Blaine didn’t come towards him, though. He headed for the karaoke machine.

Kitty prised the microphone from Kurt’s hand, and with a wink, she skipped off towards Blaine.

_Uh-oh … Blaine’s going to sing. Must get off the stage._

Mechanically, he moved away, not venturing too far since he really wanted to see Blaine perform.

Blaine cleared his throat. “This is for you, Kurt.”

“Seems like it was yesterday When I saw your face You told me how proud you were, But I walked away …”

Kurt heard the apology in Blaine’s words and tone, and saw it in his pleading eyes.

_Well, if we’re at the apology stage already, I’m right there with you._

So he grabbed the second microphone and sang along, making his way to the stage. Their voices weaved together as beautifully and effortlessly as ever, and Blaine looked over the moon with happiness to be singing with Kurt again.

“And I hurt myself, by hurting you …”

Their voices trailed off, and the crowd watching and listening applauded, but they didn’t even notice. They were lost in each other’s eyes.

“I’m so sorry I ran away without letting you explain,” breathed Blaine.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you before,” whispered Kurt. “I do trust you, I do. You have my whole heart. Please tell me you still want to be with me. Please.”

“Always,” promised Blaine. He gently took the microphone from Kurt’s hand and laid it on the stage, along with his own. Then he put an arm around Kurt’s waist, cupped Kurt’s cheek with his other hand and kissed him, soft as a whisper at first, and then, when Kurt let out a needy moan, deepening the kiss.

They broke apart when they heard cat-calling, both blushing but sporting happy grins.

“Thanks for all this,” Blaine smiled. “The dinner, the flowers, the song. You know the way to my heart so well.”

“As do you,” Kurt admitted, and then added, feeling a bit fearful still: “Are we okay?”

“More than okay,” Blaine assured him. “I was so angry at first, angry that you hadn’t told me straightaway. But then I started thinking. If you had told me, I would have reacted like a total fanboy, and that’s all I would ever have been to you. So in hindsight, you were wise to wait. To let me get to know the real you first. Because I wouldn’t want to give up what we have for the world.” *kiss* “You’re amazing.” *kiss* “You suit me so well.” *kiss* “You complete me.” *kiss* “You’re the one I want to grow old with.” *kiss* “I love you so much.”

Kurt felt overwhelmed and blissfully happy. His heart hammered wildly, his cheeks started to ache from smiling so wide and he had no other thought in his head than “ _Blaine, Blaine, Blaine! I want you, I love you, I need you_ ”.

Their happy bubble was pricked, however, by Puck loudly yelling “Get a room”, straight in Kurt’s ear.

Kurt didn’t let it get to him. He nodded at Puck. “Excellent suggestion! Let’s go, Blaine!”

They put their coats on, waved at their friends and slipped out without paying any more attention to what the others were saying.

As they hurried down the street, Kurt looked down at their linked hands and sighed happily. “I missed this. I missed you. I couldn’t sleep.”

“I know,” Blaine agreed. “Let’s not fight again, okay?”

Kurt laughed. “As much as I would like to promise you that, I think we’re bound to fight again sometime. All I can promise is that I’ll never give up on you. However much we fight, and whatever it’s about, we’ll power through it. Because you and I, we were meant to be.”

Songs in this chapter:

She Loves You, by The Beatles

She’s The One, by Robbie Williams

Hurt, by Christina Aguilera


	76. A Splendid Find

# Chapter 76: A Splendid Find

“ _The first glimpse of her new home was a delight to eye and spirit--it looked so like a big, creamy seashell stranded on the harbor shore. The rows of tall Lombardy poplars down its lane stood out in stately, purple silhouette against the sky. Behind it, sheltering its garden from the too keen breath of sea winds, was a cloudy fir wood, in which the winds might make all kinds of weird and haunting music. Like all woods, it seemed to be holding and enfolding secrets in its recesses,--secrets whose charm is only to be won by entering in and patiently seeking._ ” (Lucy Maud Montgomery, _Anne’s House of Dreams_ )

Kurt felt momentarily disoriented when he woke up the next morning. _Where am I?_

Then he remembered that he and Blaine had made up the night before, and that he was in Blaine’s bed. He threw his arms out wide, revelling in the softness and the warmth of the bed, heaven after making do with a sleeping bag for a week while getting his Westerville shop renovated and decorated in record time. The only thing that would make his bliss complete was Blaine in his arms. As usual, his boyfriend had woken at 6.30 AM and had gotten up already.

He squinted at the clock. Nearly seven AM. Wow, that was early for a Saturday morning! Blaine must not have been up for long, and maybe he’d gone for a run?

Kurt decided to check, and yes, the apartment was deserted and Blaine’s coat and running shoes were gone.

_Excellent! My turn to make breakfast!_

When a huffing and puffing Blaine came back in, he was treated to freshly baked blueberry muffins with a sticky but delicious glaze and a mixed berry smoothie.

They showered together, lovingly soaping each other in and rediscovering each other’s bodies thoroughly with a reverence and passion that left them dewy-eyed and speechless, but oh so thankful that they’d found their way back to one another.

They dressed slowly, casting lingering looks over their shoulders that almost made them decide to just forego clothes and stay in bed all day. Almost, because Kurt was eager to show off his new shop to Blaine, and Blaine was curious, to say the least. So they set off in the direction of the shop, their joint hands swinging in between them.

Upon entering the shop, it was clear that there had been quite a party last night after they left. Nothing was trashed, thankfully, but there were empty pizza boxes and bottles and solo cups everywhere, and even confetti, a pink cowboy hat and a few feather boas.

Kurt raised his eyebrows at Blaine, who shrugged and draped a yellow boa around his neck, offering Kurt a blue one. “I like the stained glass windows. Very classy. I see you’ve kept them, but added an extra layer of glass to keep the heat in during winter. That’s clever.”

Kurt nodded eagerly, and proceeded to share his whole vision for the shop, completely disregarding the clutter, pointing out what was already there and describing what he wanted to add and why.

Blaine listened attentively and intelligently, making remarks in all the right places and offering helpful suggestions.

At last, Kurt had shown Blaine the whole building from the bottom to the top, and they teamed up to collect the trash and sweep up the confetti. When they were ready and the shop looked neat and tidy again, Blaine announced: “I have something to show you as well. Can we take your car?”

Kurt raised one eyebrow, but led the way to his car without questioning Blaine.

Blaine gave him directions to a quiet street not too far from where Leah lived. It was a neat row of houses all made from the same mould, with perfectly manicured front gardens. All except the last house, which seemed to be older and looked as though it came straight out of a musical. A porch swing swayed invitingly in the wind. The garden was well kept, but delightfully whimsical. Beautifully painted bird houses adorned the trees, and deep red Virginia creeper climbed the walls of the house.

Blaine unlocked the door to the house and led Kurt all the way to the veranda in the back. A table for two was set, and a picnic basket stood in the middle, next to a bottle of chilled white wine.

“Oh, brilliant, Wes already dropped it off,” Blaine remarked casually.

“This is for us?” Kurt asked.

“Yes, it is,” Blaine smiled. “Sit down and hand me your plate, will you?”

Blaine opened the picnic basket and delicious smells wafted out. He opened the topmost parcel, which proved to contain spring rolls from the Thai restaurant in Westerville Kurt loved so much.

When only crumbs remained, Blaine turned to the next parcel and revealed Fettucini Alfredo for the main dish.

Kurt felt comfortably full after that, but when Blaine conjured up his favourite baked toffee cheese cake for dessert, he couldn’t resist, and shared a slice with Blaine.

Then he groaned and sat back. “Don’t expect me to move right now, please. I don’t think I can.”

Blaine chuckled. “I know what you mean. Same here.”

“Is this Wes’s place?” Kurt asked.

Blaine shook his head. “It’s a house that’s for sale. It hasn’t been on the market for long, as you can see. The old lady who lived here had to be moved to a nursing home after she broke her hip. I thought we might check out the house later. Kick off our house hunt.”

Kurt beamed at Blaine. “I’d love that.”

They took the dirty dishes to the kitchen and washed them. Then they roamed through the house at their leisure, and Kurt loved it.

He loved the sunny kitchen and the huge pantry, he loved the fireplace in the living room, he loved the intricately carved banister of the staircase, and he loved the stained-glass half circle in the front door depicting a sunrise in golds and oranges and reds over rolling green hills.

He loved the grandfather clock in the hall he could imagine a little goat hiding in, just like in the story, and he loved the master bedroom that was roomy enough for a walk-in closet that could hold the entire wardrobe of a fashionista as fabulous as Kurt Hummel and leave some space for Blaine’s clothes and shoes as well.

There were two more bedrooms, much smaller ones, which could be turned into spare rooms or could, in the future, become their children’s bedrooms.

There were two bathrooms. They weren’t very up-to-date, but they were roomy and neat.

And the veranda they had eaten dinner in was nothing short of delightful. An amazing place to soak up the light, even in winter, and well insulated, that was obvious.

 _All in all, a splendid find, this house_ , Kurt thought.

“So what do you think?” Kurt asked Blaine.

Blaine turned to Kurt. “Would you think I’m crazy if I said I don’t want to look any further? This house feels perfect for us, and I can totally see us living here.”

“If you’re crazy, then I’m crazy as well,” Kurt giggled. “I absolutely love this house. Do you think we could buy some of the furniture as well? I’ve seen some nice antiques.”

“So we’ll make an offer?” Blaine inquired.

Kurt nodded. “If the price isn’t too outrageous, I’ll have enough money to pay my half. If necessary, I’ll sell my house in Lima. Though there have been talks about my books being turned into a TV series, and that would bring in a solid sum as well. I should talk to Kevin about it.”

“I’ll ask Wes how much this property is selling for,” Blaine mused. “I can probably buy it outright.”

Kurt shook his head firmly. “No. If we’re buying this, we’re buying it together, and we’ll each pay half. Where would you get that kind of money from, anyway?”

Blaine blushed. “Oh, well, my grandfather left me money. Quite a bit.”

“Trust fund baby, are you?” Kurt asked.

Blaine nodded sheepishly.

Kurt shrugged. “Well, it doesn’t matter where the money comes from. We’re buying the house together.”

“Okay.”

And then they were smiling at one another like idiots.

“We’re buying a house together!” Blaine whispered excitedly.

Kurt grinned. “We are.”

“I’ll have to buy a bike too,” Blaine announced. “I can’t get to school on foot from here. But it’s not too far by bike.”

“Ditto,” agreed Kurt. “But on the plus side, we’ll have a garden. We could totally have a pet if we liked.”

Blaine beamed. “Are you serious?”

Kurt cocked his head to the side. “I’ve always wanted a pet. I wanted some company, being an only child and all, you know. But both my aunt and my dad are allergic.”

“Are you allergic too?” asked Blaine a bit fearfully.

Kurt shook his head. “I don’t think I am. I used to volunteer in an animal shelter on Saturdays. I never sneezed or had runny eyes or anything.”

“So what do you want, a cat or a dog?” Blaine inquired.

“I like both,” Kurt declared. “Anyway, that will have to wait a while. I want my new shop up and running first. And our house needs a new kitchen and new bathrooms and a walk-in closet before we can move in. First things first. We can expand our family once we’re comfortably settled in our new home.”

Blaine grinned. “I like the sound of that.”


	77. Reunited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For people who hate the double point of view: this chapter contains no new information, feel free to skip it!

# Chapter 77: Reunited

“ _She sent out for one of those short, plump little cakes called 'petites madeleines,' which look as though they had been moulded in the fluted scallop of a pilgrim's shell. And soon, mechanically, weary after a dull day with the prospect of a depressing morrow, I raised to my lips a spoonful of the tea in which I had soaked a morsel of the cake. No sooner had the warm liquid, and the crumbs with it, touched my palate, a shudder ran through my whole body, and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary changes that were taking place. An exquisite pleasure had invaded my senses, but individual, detached, with no suggestion of its origin. And at once the vicissitudes of life had become indifferent to me, its disasters innocuous, its brevity illusory--this new sensation having had on me the effect which love has of filling me with a precious essence; or rather this essence was not in me, it was myself. I had ceased now to feel mediocre, accidental, mortal. Whence could it have come to me, this all-powerful joy?_ ” (Marcel Proust, _Remembrance of Things Past_ )

Ryder arrived at Blaine’s apartment at half past six, and they were happily chatting when Blaine heard a key in his lock and Jeff and Nick tumbled in.

“Oh, you’re dressed and ready,” Jeff stated. He sounded relieved, as though he’d been fearing he’d find Blaine dressed in ratty old sweats and refusing to come along. “And you have company? Hi, Ryder! Long time, no see, man!”

“Good to see you, man,” Nick enthused, and fist-bumped Ryder.

“You too, dude,” Ryder answered. “Blaine invited me along tonight, when he heard I was coming home.”

If Blaine hadn’t been looking straight at Jeff, he would have missed his reaction, but he could have sworn that Jeff looked annoyed for a second. A moment later, though, his smile was back in place. “The more, the merrier.”

While Blaine and Ryder were putting on their coats, Jeff was texting someone, an anxious expression on his face. The answer he got seemed to reassure him, and Jeff went back to his cheery bubbly self.

Blaine shot a curious glance at Niff when they led him and Ryder into another direction than the karaoke bar they usually frequented, and then remembered that they were going to eat something first. They probably wanted to try out a new restaurant. Or did they? Blaine distinctly remembered Jeff saying they were going to eat at the karaoke place. He grimaced at the thought. Most karaoke bars didn’t offer much in the way of food. Ah well, just this once he’d make do with mixed nuts and chips or whatever they had.

It didn’t take long for them to arrive at their destination. It didn’t look like a bar at all, more like a high-end store. He wanted to take his time to admire the storefront, but Jeff impatiently yanked him inside.

A pretty young waitress showed them to their table and took their drinks order, asking them if they wanted supper as well.

A short while later, she brought them their drinks and a platter of appetizers, which looked very temping. Blaine tried one of the breadsticks, which proved to be made of real puff pastry, rich and buttery. He let out a soft moan and closed his eyes to fully savour the treat. _Delicious!_

All four of them were hungry, so it took no time at all for the platter to be emptied, and the waitress was quick to take it away. Blaine hoped for a refill, but was disappointed when she didn’t return.

_Ah well … I can always make myself a sandwich before I go to bed tonight …_

That proved unnecessary, however, because twenty minutes later, the waitress did come back, holding plates of … lasagne? Wow!

Blaine beamed as his plate was set before him. He waited until all four of them had been served and then took his first bite.

_Wait … What? It can’t be … Can it?_

This was Kurt’s recipe. He was sure of it. One bite of it transported him back to Kurt’s kitchen and the first time Kurt had served this to him. Kurt had giggled at his ecstatic moans and joked that Blaine would be in the next Guinness book of Records as the first man to ever reach an orgasm by eating lasagne.

Did this mean that Kurt was actually here? Blaine looked around the place wonderingly, but didn’t see Kurt anywhere. He did recognise Puck at another table, though, with his brother Jake, and was that Sam with them as well? He debated going over and saying hello, but decided against it. Kurt had probably told Finn about Blaine running off and freezing him out, and Finn was sure to have told his friends, and now they probably hated Blaine for hurting Kurt.

Blaine willed away the tears he felt threatening, and continued eating.

_Oh, this is heavenly! Mmmm …_

Far too soon, his plate was completely wiped clean, and he kept looking at it wistfully, as though a second portion would materialise if he stared at his plate long enough.

“Sir?”

Blaine looked up and saw the waitress hover at his side. He raised his eyebrows questioningly. “Yes?”

“Would you like another helping of lasagne?” she asked.

Blaine’s eyebrows went up even further.

_Well, what do you know. I can do magic now … I wished for more lasagne and now I’m getting more._

He grinned happily at the waitress and nodded. “Yes, please.”

She smiled back, took his plate, and quickly returned with Blaine’s second helping, offering his friends more lasagne too. Niff politely declined, but Ryder’s grin was even wider than Blaine’s had been.

“Well, while you’re occupied eating your weight in lasagne, we’re going to kick off karaoke night,” announced Nick, and waved the waitress over. Jeff and Nick had a short whispered conversation with her, after which she led them to the karaoke machine and handed them both microphones.

Nick surprised Blaine by dedicating the song to both Blaine “and his boyfriend Kurt”.

_I hope you’re right and I haven’t lost Kurt for good. And does this mean that Kurt is actually here, too?_

Once more, Blaine let his eyes roam through the room, but Kurt was nowhere to be seen.

He turned his attention back to Niff, and realised they were singing “She Loves You”, but substituting the feminine pronouns by masculine ones.

_Has Jeff really talked to Kurt? And Kurt truly isn’t angry with me?_

That made Blaine feel a bit better about having to postpone talking things through with Kurt, and he smiled at Niff and clapped hard when the song ended.

Niff sat down and high-fived Ryder, who declared: “I want to sing, too! It’s been so long!”

Jeff told him to wait for his turn and have dessert first.

_We’re getting dessert, too? What a weird kind of karaoke bar IS this, anyway? Still … Not complaining … I always have room for dessert!_

Dessert arrived soon after, and turned out to be apple crumble with caramelised apples. It looked delicious. There was a scoop of ice cream next to the apple crumble - from the looks of it, not vanilla-flavoured - and a sprinkling of cookie crumbles over the ice-cream. Blaine took a small bite of it and let it dissolve on his tongue. What flavour was that? Cinnamon, his brain helpfully supplied.

He loaded his spoon with all three components of the dessert, and involuntarily closed his eyes and let out a moan as the full effect of it hit him.

_This is sooo good …_

Blaine was so much enjoying his dessert that he started when someone tapped him on the shoulder. It proved to be their waitress. She was humming, and she held out a rose for him to take. A yellow-tipped red rose. Friendship falling into love.

_That’s odd. Is she hitting on me now? What happened to slipping your phone number in with the bill?_

But the waitress wasn’t checking him out at all, or winking. She just gestured for him to take the rose, never stopping her humming. So Blaine took the rose, and she moved away, towards the stage.

Immediately, someone else walked up to Blaine, also humming, and also holding out a rose for him to take. A yellow one this time. That could either mean friendship or trying to make up for a quarrel. Was Kurt behind this?

Then Sam came and offered Kurt a rose. A red one. Love.

_Surely, this means Kurt has something to do with the flowers?_

Puck came next, with another yellow-tipped red rose, and in his wake followed other New Directioners. Among others, Blaine recognised Kitty, Jake, Finn, Marley, Unique, Roderick and Spencer. They all moved towards the stage after offering him a rose and created a beautiful harmony. Clearly, they were going to sing a song.

Blaine admired the beautiful bouquet he now held and sniffed at the roses appreciatively.

He started when he heard Kurt’s voice announcing “This is for Blaine”.

_Kurt! So he IS here! And he’s going to sing to me?_

His eyes glued to his gorgeous boyfriend, Blaine smiled happily, and flat-out beamed when it dawned on him what song Kurt was singing.

_I love that song! And you’re the one for me too, baby …_

Kurt sang it beautifully, and Blaine teared up a little.

_Well, if everyone is communicating through song tonight, then so will I …_

Accordingly, he got up and made a beeline for the karaoke machine as soon as Kurt’s song stopped. He looked for the number he wanted to sing, and was glad to see it was available.

“Here you go!” someone sing-songed. He looked up and saw Kitty, who thrust a microphone into his hands.

He smiled and thanked her. He dedicated the song to Kurt, and started to sing his apology, turning towards Kurt and trying convey both with the words he sang and his expression how truly sorry he was.

Kurt’s face had lit up when he heard Blaine’s dedication, and turned thoughtful once he understood the lyrics. Blaine saw him grab a microphone, and to his delight, Kurt joined in, singing the rest of the song with him, and looking straight into his eyes.

Blaine’s heart soared, and he felt a thousand times better by the time the music faded out. First things first, though … He apologised, and so did Kurt in turn, and then they were kissing as if their life depended on it.

Kurt seemed rather unsure still, seeking assurances from Blaine that he’d forgiven Kurt and that they were okay again. Blaine admitted that he’d overreacted, and told Kurt he understood why Kurt had waited to tell him, and didn’t hold that against him at all.

Blaine punctuated his sentences with kisses, and before long, one of Kurt’s friends yelled at them to get a room. Kurt took that as their cue to leave, and Blaine was only too happy to oblige, pulling his coat on in a hurry and giving Niff and Ryder a quick wave before he was tugged out of the karaoke bar by an eager Kurt.

“I’ll give the full tour another time,” Kurt promised as they hurried along the street.

When he saw Blaine’s blank look, he added: “That was the property I bought here in Westerville.”

“So it’s not a karaoke bar?” Blaine verified.

“Of course not,” Kurt giggled. “Jeff just said that to lure you there. We worked all week to make it semi-presentable so that Jeff could invite you and I could then try and sweep you off your feet with my cooking and flowers and serenade.”

Blaine laughed. “That you did. Definitely. You sure know how to show a guy a great time, Kurt Hummel.”

_The date I planned for tomorrow will pale in comparison, but, well … It’s the thought that counts, isn’t it?_


	78. All's Right With The World

# Chapter 78: All’s Right With The World

“ _Love is a temporary madness, it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion, it is not the desire to mate every second minute of the day, it is not lying awake at night imagining that he is kissing every cranny of your body. No, don't blush, I am telling you some truths. That is just being "in love", which any fool can do. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident._ ” (Louis de Bernières, _Captain Corelli's Mandolin_ )

Blaine whistled cheerily as his feet pounded the pavement. Waking up to Kurt after nearly a week apart had felt amazing, and when Blaine had realised Kurt was in bed with him, he’d closed his eyes again in ecstasy and savoured the moment.

_Kurt’s in my arms - all’s right with the world!_

The energy he felt thrumming through his veins needed an outlet, so he quickly put on a T-shirt, jogging pants and trainers and went for a run.

_Aah, that feels good … It’s been too long … As much as I like vegging out in front of the TV sometimes, I really let myself go this week. Eating so much junk food as well. I don’t want my belly to go all flabby._

After a while, every thought Blaine had drifted right out of his head and he just ran, ran, ran, feeling perfectly zen and relishing the soft breeze cooling him down.

By the time he got back to his apartment, he felt completely relaxed and happy, a feeling that only intensified when he opened the door and smelled something baking.

_Has Kurt made me cookies again?_

It proved to be blueberry muffins with a mascarpone and honey glaze, and Blaine’s eyes almost rolled back in his head at how good they were, moist and sweet, but not overly so.

After breakfast, Blaine pulled off his sweaty T-shirt with a grimace and headed to the bathroom, with Kurt hot on his heels. They showered together, lingering until the hot water ran out and then escaping the cold water spray with a squeal and a laugh, grabbing a towel and drying the other with it, eyes and hands eagerly mapping out the familiar territory again.

Blaine was tempted to haul Kurt back to bed and hold him hostage there for the rest of the day, but that would have to wait for another time. Kurt wanted to show Blaine his new shop, and then Blaine had a date planned. He sent a quick text to Wes, asking him to please drop off the food and wine a little before noon. Wes answered with an “Okay” and a “Good luck!”

Kurt’s new store was lovely, or it would be, anyway, as soon as it was all spruced up. Blaine could tell why Kurt had chosen this property. It had the same feel to it as his shop in Lima. Elegant, classy, airy and inviting.

Kurt showed him the entire building, explaining his plans for it. His eyes shone brightly and he was talking with his whole body, hands waving, pointing, curving. That was so mesmerising that Blaine had to keep reminding himself to pay attention to what Kurt was saying.

After the tour, Blaine helped Kurt clean up the remains of the party downstairs. When the shop looked spic and span again, Blaine told Kurt he had something to show Kurt as well, and suggested they take Kurt’s car to get there.

Kurt looked surprised but intrigued. He looked as though he wanted to ask Blaine a thousand questions, but pursed his lips to keep them inside. When they reached his car, Kurt slipped into the driver’s seat and awaited Blaine’s directions.

Blaine told him where to go, and saw Kurt take in the neighbourhood as they drove, and then, when they’d arrived, appraise the street they’d parked in and nod approvingly. And without Blaine saying a word, Kurt’s eyes were drawn to the house they’d come for and they greedily took in every detail.

Blaine smiled. He’d had the exact same reaction when Wes showed him the place yesterday afternoon. The house wasn’t new, but it had charm and character and personality. Blaine had known straightaway that it would suit him perfectly, and now he could only hope that Kurt liked it just as much as he did.

He took the key out of his pocket and ushered Kurt in, taking him straight to the veranda in the back. Wes had dropped off the food and wine and had even gone to the trouble of setting the table. That was nice of him … But then again, if all went well, they would buy the house and Wes would get a sizeable commission, so it was in Wes’s best interests to help create the right atmosphere.

Kurt’s eyes widened when he realised they were going to eat in the veranda, and he beamed when Blaine revealed parcel after parcel of the food Kurt liked best.

_I didn’t cook and bake everything myself, like you did, but the lovely setting more than makes up for that, don’t you think?_

After dessert, Blaine broached the subject of their house hunt and suggested checking out the house. Kurt seemed delighted at the prospect, so after doing the dishes, feeling as comfortable as if they lived there already, they trailed through the house, pointing out quaint details they spotted, exclaiming over the view and praising the proportions of the rooms and the interior design.

At last, when they had seen and commented on everything, Kurt turned to Blaine. “So what do you think?”

Blaine admitted that he’d lost his heart to the house, and thankfully, Kurt seemed just as taken with it. They discussed making an offer, and where they would find the money to pay for the house. Kurt quipped that he could always turn his thrillers into a TV series so as to make his fortune.

_Oh wow! That would be wonderful. Would you? Pretty please? I’m not going to let you forget about that …_

Blaine offered to buy the house all by himself. What else was his trust fund for, anyway? Kurt wouldn’t hear of that, however, and insisted on an equal division of the price. Blaine readily agreed.

_The practicalities don’t matter much to me. We’re buying a house together! We’re going to live together! This is amazing …_

Blaine smiled from ear to ear, and Kurt seemed just as pleased.

_I’ll miss my apartment, but I’m sure I’ll grow to love this house just as much, if not more. The only drawback is that it’s further away from school. I’ll have to get a bike._

Blaine mentioned that to Kurt, who countered that the house had a garden, which allowed them to have pets.

_Really? You’d want one? I’d love to have a pet!_

Kurt told Blaine he’d always wanted a pet, but couldn’t have one because his aunt and dad were allergic, so he volunteered in a shelter instead.

Blaine put his feelers out to find out where Kurt stood in the dog vs. cat debate, but Kurt had no preference, and declared that it was much too soon to be thinking about that anyway. They could revisit this discussion after they had settled in.

_Okay … But once again, I’m not going to forget about this!_

Blaine called Wes and told him they were interested in the house and wanted to make an offer. “How much does the owner want for the house?”

The price Wes quoted sounded reasonable to Blaine. He relayed it to Kurt, who nodded. “I can swing half of that. Let’s make an offer. Can we come by Wes’s office to fill in the form?”

Wes chuckled at their eagerness, but told Blaine that he’d be at the office until five.

K&B

That night, sated and drowsy and so full of happiness he felt floaty like a helium balloon, Blaine softly stroked Kurt’s back and beamed up at the ceiling.

“Blaine? Are you asleep?” Kurt asked.

“No, sweetie, not yet. What is it?”

“My dad’s going to think I’m absolutely insane, won’t he?” Kurt panicked. “I bought a shop less than two weeks ago, and now we’re buying a house together. That’s all my savings gone, and I’m not even halfway done with fitting out and decorating my new shop.”

“Do you regret it?” inquired Blaine.

“No. No, I don’t. It feels right. The house is a perfect fit for us, and I want to live with you. It’s just … Are we being too hasty? We’ve barely known each other for two months!”

“True. It hasn’t been very long. But your life’s already so intertwined with mine that it hurts to be apart from you. It’s only been a week, but I was positively miserable without you.”

“I know,” Kurt mumbled. “Me too.”

“And we’re level-headed and mature adults. We can make this work. No more storm-outs from me.”

“And no more secrets,” Kurt promised. “I’ll be an open book to you.”

“Make it an Easterbrook novel and we have a deal,” Blaine grinned.

He felt Kurt’s chest vibrate with laughter. “I’m glad you liked ‘Winding Ways’.”

“I did,” Blaine confirmed. “It’s a good thing you gave me an advance copy, though, I spotted some typos and grammatical errors.”

“You did not!” Kurt gasped.

“I did, too,” Blaine chuckled. “I’ll show you tomorrow. So will Charles be in your next book, too?”

“Probably,” Kurt admitted. “I’ve always liked thrillers with a romantic subplot. That enhances the story. I’ve never written any because I’ve never been in a relationship before.”

“You’ve never killed someone before, either.”

“True. But that’s easier to imagine.”

They both giggled.

“Kurt?”

“Yes?”

“A TV series based on your books would be cool.”

“It would,” agreed Kurt. “I’ll discuss it with my publisher. He’s had offers before.”

“Yay!”

“You’re such a dork,” laughed Kurt.

Blaine pouted, and Kurt kissed the pout away. “But you’re my dork and I love you.”

“I love you too,” Blaine answered.

They kissed lazily for a while, until Blaine felt his eyes droop.

“Good night, love.”

“Good night, honey.”


	79. Christmas Preparations

# Chapter 79: Christmas Preparations

“ _I wonder how many people don't get the one they want, but end up with the one they're supposed to be with_.” (Fannie Flagg, _Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café_ )

The days leading up to Christmas were filled to the brim, but Kurt thrived on it. He spent most of his time at his new shop in Westerville, to oversee the work and to pitch in where needed.

In the evenings, he was tired out, yet however dead on his feet he was, his brain worked in overdrive, supplying him with plenty of design and plot ideas. So they would sit on the sofa watching TV, Kurt’s legs over Blaine’s and his sketch pad or laptop at the ready, and Kurt would only focus on the programme for about five minutes, and then he would either grab his pencil and make it fly over the paper at an incredible speed, or grab his laptop and type like a maniac.

Blaine, who had indeed spotted several typos and mistakes in “Winding Ways”, smugly offered to proofread the chapters of Kurt’s book as he wrote them, but Kurt wouldn’t hear of that. “I’ll let you read the manuscript when it’s finished, but no earlier than that.”

Blaine pouted prettily, but Kurt did not give in. “I don’t want to spoil the book for you, honey. And let’s face it, if I let you read it chapter by chapter, you’d pester me to please write faster because you can’t wait to read the rest of the story. That wouldn’t improve the quality of my writing. I’m sure you understand. You’ll be the first to read my new manuscript. I promise.”

On Monday afternoon, Kurt took Blaine shopping in Westerville for Christmas gifts for the Hudmels. Kurt bought his dad fishing gear and Finn a couple of video games, for Rachel and Carole each a spa gift voucher and for the children a pair of pyjamas and a board game. Blaine bought Burt and Finn both tickets to a football game, and picked out a luxury bath set for both Rachel and Carole. For Sarah, he bought a friendship bracelet kit, and for Toby a building set.

They planned on spending both Christmas Eve and Christmas with the Hudmels, and went back to Lima on Tuesday in the late afternoon.

Kurt and Blaine arrived at the Hudmel’s just in time to help frost the dozens of cookies Sarah and Toby had baked that afternoon, and had fun decorating the gingerbread men and women with bowties and fashionable ensembles.

They ate a light supper and watched Christmas movies together, Toby on Rachel’s lap and Sarah on Blaine’s. Kurt teared up while watching “It’s A Wonderful Life”, and Blaine looked at him with concern in his eyes, squeezing his hand.

“Don’t worry about it, buddy,” Burt advised Blaine. “Kurt always cries when he watches this kind of movies, even when there’s nothing to cry about.”

Kurt bristled. “Watch it, Dad, or you’ll be sharing Rachel’s vegan meal tomorrow!”

That made both Burt and Rachel scowl at him, but Blaine and Finn chuckled and Carole let out a giggle.

The Hudson-Berry’s were all staying over at the Hudmel’s, but Kurt and Blaine headed back to Kurt’s place after the children had been put to bed.

Blaine had been prevailed upon to tell a bedtime story, and Kurt really liked this one. It was about a poor woodcutter who had saved a snake, a lion, a monkey and an influential wealthy man from a bear pit, and how each of them had rewarded him.

Kurt and Blaine promised to be back bright and early the next morning to help with the Christmas dinner preparations and to open the Christmas presents.

K&B

Kurt had been determined that he would be the one to make breakfast on Christmas morning, so he’d set his alarm for six o’clock, and made sure he had all the ingredients to make cinnamon rolls. When his alarm clock went off, he silenced it at once and shushed Blaine back to sleep. He padded to the kitchen, made the dough for the rolls and then covered it to let it rise for an hour.

He didn’t go back to bed, but went to his workshop to search for a series of bow ties he’d made for Blaine way back in November and now needed as a back-up Christmas present, since he’d already given Blaine his book. He gift-wrapped them meticulously and then went back to the kitchen, where he proceeded to make the filling and the frosting for the rolls.

When that was done, he started up his laptop, opened his manuscript document and continued writing.

His kitchen timer dinged, and he checked on the dough and punched it down. He waited for a minute to roll it out, choosing to grind beans for coffee first. Then he rolled out the dough, spread the filling evenly over it, rolled it up and cut it into thick slices.

_That goes into the baking pans, there we go … We’ll cover them up nicely … Just like that … And now we wait another fifteen minutes … The coffee’s already brewing, so what’s next on the programme? Orange juice!_

Kurt had just finished filling two glasses with freshly pressed orange juice when he felt Blaine’s arms wrap around his waist.

“Why are you up so early, sweetheart?” Blaine asked softly. “I wanted some cuddles in bed.”

“I wanted to make you cinnamon rolls for Christmas,” Kurt explained.

Blaine smiled. “That sounds wonderful. Can I help?”

“Not really. The frosting’s all done, and the rolls are going in the oven in seven minutes, they’re still rising now.”

“Seven minutes, huh?” Blaine repeated, and quick as a flash, he picked Kurt up and set him on the counter. “That should be enough.”

Blaine kissed Kurt deeply and then trailed kisses from his chin to his clavicles. Bunching up Kurt’s T-shirt under his arms, Blaine kissed his way down, down, down.

Neither of them heard the timer go off the second time, but slightly over-proved rolls were a small cross to bear for that lovely interlude.

Blaine pronounced the cinnamon rolls absolutely scrumptious, just like their baker, and tugged Kurt enthusiastically to the bathroom after breakfast for round two.

Suffice it to say that they arrived at the Hudmels a little later than intended, and with suspiciously broad grins for such an early hour in the morning. However, Finn and the children were beaming just as happily at the thought of Christmas presents and Christmas food, so maybe Burt would chalk their good humour up to Christmas cheer.


	80. Christmas

# Chapter 80: Christmas

“ _I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year._ ” (Charles Dickens, _A Christmas Carol_ )

“Presents first or after dinner?” Blaine asked Kurt.

“Now!” Finn insisted. “We already had to wait until you got here, man! I’m done waiting!”

“How old are you again, Finn?” asked Blaine with a suspiciously straight face.

Finn looked puzzled. “Huh? I’m 26, like Kurt. Why?”

“Because right now, you’re behaving like you’re two and a half,” quipped Kurt, and the living room rang with laughter.

“Oh shush,” Carole said placatingly. “Everyone likes presents, no matter what age they are. Let’s sit down, and Toby and Sarah can bring all of us our presents.”

Sarah and Toby squealed excitedly and ran to the Christmas tree. Sarah helped her brother read the tags on the presents, and together, they handed out all the presents and then started unwrapping their own, eyes gleaming.

Kurt got a beautiful cashmere scarf from Blaine, a gourmet food basket from Burt & Carole, a James Bond car model from Finn and from Rachel an antique silver picture frame holding a photograph of Kurt and Blaine at Naomi’s wedding, gazing into each other’s eyes and smiling.

“Rach … This is beautiful! Where did you get that picture?”

Rachel smiled, looking pleased and a little smug. “I took it at the wedding we all went to. I took plenty of pictures. You didn’t notice. You were so lost in your own world, you two.”

Kurt showed the picture to Blaine, who beamed at him and whispered in his ear: “Over the mantel piece in the living room?”

Kurt nodded, grinning back at him.

Blaine was pleased as Punch with the assortment of bow ties Kurt had made for him. Kurt’s relatives had also found him gifts that suited him well. Burt and Carole gave him an iTunes gift voucher and Finn gave him a pack of Marvel Comics guitar picks and a Batmobile flash drive.

But it was Rachel’s gift that delighted Blaine the most: a photo viewer key chain with lots of pictures of Kurt, of Blaine and of Kurt and Blaine together. Wow, Rachel was clearly a ninja photographer. There were pictures of Blaine performing at the book fair, of the both of them at Tina’s Halloween party, hearts in their eyes even then, of Kurt and Blaine singing and dancing at the Fuller-Keller wedding, of the two princes at the birthday party and candid shots of them at Thanksgiving.

Kurt looked at Rachel, beyond impressed, and mouthed: “Thank you”.

She beamed at him. “I’ll put the pictures in my dropbox, so you can download them.”

After the opening of the presents, Kurt and Blaine headed to the kitchen, where they donned an apron and helped Carole cook dinner, Blaine chatting amiably with Carole about the children in his class and the activities they did and the smart and funny answers they came up with, and listening to Carole while she shared stories about Finn when he was little, and about the children in the paediatrics wing of the hospital where she worked.

“It’s so hard on them not to be home for Christmas, you know,” Carole sighed. “Their parents bring them lots of presents, but they don’t really have the energy to play with the toys they’re given. There are volunteers who come and read stories to the children or play board games with them on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but as today is Christmas, the volunteers will skip Wednesday this week.”

Kurt shared a look with Blaine, and he could tell their thoughts were running parallel.

“Carole, do you think the children at the hospital would like it if we sang for them?” Kurt asked tentatively. “And Blaine could tell a story. We could go this afternoon.”

Carole looked a bit taken aback, but rallied quickly. “I’m sure they would love it. Burt? Finn? Rachel? Come here a moment, will you?”

Carole relayed Kurt’s idea to the others.

“I’m in!” Finn enthused.

“Oh, I’m so glad now that I practised Christmas songs with Sarah yesterday,” squealed Rachel.

“I like the idea, but don’t expect me to sing,” Burt warned. “Trust me, that would not make those kids feel better.”

Kurt bit down a smile and suggested that Burt could play _Who Is It?_ with them instead.

Accordingly, after dinner and Toby’s nap, they set out for the hospital. Carole told them that there were more than enough board games and toys available there, so they didn’t bring anything other than Blaine’s guitar and their good mood.

The nurses on duty were surprised but pleased to see them. “Carole! You brought your whole family! Oh wow, how Sarah and Toby have grown! Are you visiting someone?”

“Hey Laura, hey Lizzie,” Carole beamed. “We thought we’d come and cheer up the children by singing with them and telling them stories.”

“Would that be okay?” Kurt asked.

“Oh, absolutely, honey,” Lizzie reassured him. “Shall we bring them all to the big play room?”

“We’ll help,” Carole volunteered, and they all went along.

Their visit was a hit. The children sang along to the Christmas carols, Disney medley and nursery rhymes, clapped their hands enthusiastically and made song requests. When they were all sung out and getting tired and fretful, Blaine told them a Christmas-themed story:

_Johnny and Katie are standing in front of the Christmas tree and staring at it hard, their hands stiffly behind their backs. Those hands are itching to touch the sweets and the silver baubles and to stroke the angel figures for just a moment. And to blow the trumpet._

_“No, not even for a moment!” Johnny’s mother says. She puts on a Christmas carol record. “Go on, sing along nicely. Then you’ll be word perfect by Christmas Eve.”_

_Carefully, she hangs more beautiful decorations on the Christmas tree._

_Katie and Johnny flop down onto the floor on their bellies just in front of the Christmas tree._

_“We have the biggest tree in the world”, says Johnny._

_“No, you don’t!” Katie yells. “We do! The very biggest, and the roots are still on it. After Christmas, we’ll plant it in our garden.”_

_“No, you don’t!”_

_“Yes, we do!”_

_They’re screaming over the beautiful Christmas carol that’s playing._

_“Stop it!” Johnny’s mother says. “Aren’t you listening? They’re singing about a silent night, not about screaming day.”_

_Johnny pokes Katie on the sly._

_Katie raises her legs to push Johnny away._

_Just at that moment, Johnny’s mother takes a step back. She falls over Katie’s leg, while carrying a box full of baubles._

_“Ooooh, everything’s ruined!” she yells._

_“It’s not screaming day!” Johnny says sternly. “You said so yourself.”_

_And as his mother isn’t looking, his hand darts out … to the bottom-most sugar cookie on the Christmas tree. Though it makes the bells tinkle, he does it anyway… Gotcha!_

_Katie picks up the broken bauble pieces and puts them on her hair._

_“I’m a Christmas tree, too,” she says. “And I need a sugar cookie too, that makes it real.”_

_Ringggg… go the bells in the tree._

_Katie has a Christmas wreath sugar cookie around her finger._

_The music record stops playing._

_All at once, it’s eerily quiet in the room._

_Johnny’s mother is still sitting on the floor, her head on her knees._

_“Mom,” Johnny softly starts to say. “Shouldn’t you be getting angry with us?”_

_His mother keeps sitting the way she’s sitting._

_“Come,” says Katie, “it’s corner time for the both of us, Johnny. As punishment. You go there. I take the other corner.”_

_From their corner, they keep glancing over their shoulder rather anxiously._

_“Katie,” Johnny asks, “do you think mommy is ill?”_

_Katie says: “We’ll call an ambulance for her. How exciting! Eee-ooo-eee-ooo-eee-oo!” she screams, just like an ambulance._

_“Mommy!” Johnny yells, frightened. “Are you really ill? It’s your fault, Katie. She fell over your leg.”_

_Slowly, Johhny’s mother lifts her head._

_“No,” she says, “I’m not really ill. I’m just feeling a bit sick of your quarrelling. But I’m trying not to get angry today. Anger and Christmas don’t belong together. And neither do Christmas and bickering.”_

_She scrambles to her feet._

_Embarrassed, Johnny and Katie look at the sugar cookies they stole from the tree._

_“Should we stay in our corner?” Johnny asks._

_“Yes, please!” his mother says. “Until I’ve finished decorating the tree.”_

_“Well,” Katie yells, “we can play shepherds, Johnny. You sit over there with your sheep, and I sit here with my sheep. And your sheep can’t come to my part of the room, do you hear?”_

_And they only just escape having another quarrel!_

The children sniggered whenever Johnny and Katie were naughty, and when Blaine’s story was over, Laura and Lizzie gave him a round of applause, and the children joined in.

Blaine gave them his special, you-just-made-my-day smile, and went to give each child a hug before they all had to go back to their rooms.

“Thank you,” said Laura. “Some of them will be too tired to eat much supper now, but it was worth it. If you ever want to come back and entertain them, please do.”

Kurt’s hand found Blaine’s and gave it a small squeeze. He saw the corner of Blaine’s mouth turn up and knew that they were in sync yet again.

When they got back to the Hudmel’s, Carole made waffles and hot chocolate - “Hey Finn, leave some marshmallows for the rest of us, please!”

Kurt hadn’t mentioned yet that he and Blaine had bought a house together, but he knew he had to before his dad found out from Puck, who would take out the old kitchen and bathrooms and install new ones. So he kept sneaking nervous glances at his dad and biting his lip, thinking of the right way to bring this up.

Burt gave him a shrewd look and set his mug down with a clunk. “All right, that’s it. I’ve had enough of your fidgeting. You’re as jumpy as a cat on a hot tin roof. Clearly, there’s something you need to tell me, and it’s something I won’t like to hear. Just spit it out. Go on.”

Kurt shot a panicky look at Blaine, who gave him a reassuring thigh squeeze.

“Blaine and I bought a house,” Kurt blurted out.

Burt’s eyebrows rose. “I thought it was a shop you’d bought in Westerville?”

“That too, yes,” Kurt admitted. “Both a shop and a house.”

“So are you selling your shop here in Lima?” asked Rachel.

“Not at the moment, no,” Kurt replied.

“So you cleaned out your savings?” Burt inquired.

Kurt wrung his hands nervously. “Pretty much, yes.”

“And now you think I’ll be mad at you?” Burt continued.

Kurt nodded wordlessly.

“Kurt…” Burt swallowed. “You’ve always had a good head on your shoulders, bud. I mean, you spend more on clothes in a year than I could in a lifetime, but other than that, you’ve always been careful with money. And you’ve always been guarded in every other major decision you’ve made. And I admire you for that, really, I do. But sometimes, I’ve wondered if you aren’t holding yourself back and living only half the life you were intended to live because you’re so scared of messing up. So however fast things are going with Blaine, it warms my heart to see you like this, pig-headed and impulsive for once, like a true Hummel. If it feels right, you have to just plunge in and swim. Life doesn’t come with guarantees, and yes, it’s possible that you guys will break up one day, but seriously? I don’t see that happening. I know you. Once you’ve made up your mind, it stays made up. And Blaine is a good guy. I won’t mind having him for a son-in-law one day.”

Kurt felt Blaine’s fingers thread through his, and heard him say a shaky thank you.

He glanced at Blaine and saw that he had tears in his eyes. He gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and laid his head on Blaine’s shoulder for a moment.

“I’m going to miss you, though, when you move to Westerville,” Burt said softly. “Mind you don’t forget about our Friday dinners.”

“We would never,” Kurt declared, and Blaine shook his head emphatically.

After that, the Hudson-Berry’s left because it was bed time for both Sarah and Toby.

Sarah protested that Blaine was there and she wanted a bed time story, but Rachel told her she’d had a story that afternoon. “Don’t be greedy, please.”

Sarah and Toby pouted, but Rachel did not give in, bundling them into their coats and commandeering them to put their shoes on, “and be quick about it, please, or there will be no sleep-over at Uncle Kurt’s for you during the holiday break!”

_Huh? Rachel hasn’t mentioned anything about a sleep-over to me? I take it they’ve been nagging for another glorious sleep-over with Blaine…_

Kurt looked at Blaine questioningly, but he shook his head, so Rachel must not have discussed it with him, either. Blaine looked at Kurt beseechingly, though, as if to say: “Can we, please?”

Kurt gave an imperceptible nod, and Blaine’s responding smile could have lit up the night sky.

The sleep-over threat worked like a charm. In no time, Sarah and Toby were ready, and there wasn’t another peep of complaint from either of them.

Kurt and Blaine went home as well. They planned on staying at Kurt’s until the end of the week. Kurt meant to go through his things both in his workshop and in his apartment upstairs, decide what he wanted to keep, toss or donate and start packing everything he wouldn’t immediately need for the double move to the new shop and the new house. He’d pack his summer clothes first, since he didn’t need them right now. That would probably take him a few days already.

K&B

The day after Christmas dawned clear and bright, and after a lazy breakfast, Kurt and Blaine set to their task in earnest. Well, there might have been some unnecessary modelling of clothes Kurt knew he was going to throw out anyway, but if that made Blaine look so hungrily at him, it was totally worth it.

They were just fixing themselves a quick lunch when the bell rang downstairs. The shop wasn’t open, so Kurt shared a mystified look with Blaine and hurried to the shop door, taking the stairs two at a time.

It was the mailman, carrying a large box and looking very grumpy. “Sign here please.”

Kurt signed for receipt, and the mailman hurried away.

Kurt picked up the box and immediately realised what the mailman had been crabby about.

_Wow, this is heavy!_

He took the box upstairs and put it on the coffee table.

“What’s that?” Blaine asked curiously.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Kurt answered, frowning.

“Who is it from?” Blaine wanted to know.

“No idea. There’s no sender mentioned anywhere on the label.”

“Let’s open it.”

Together, they removed all the tape from the box and opened the flaps. The first thing they saw was a letter in a pristine white envelope. Under it were stacks of books. They looked like notebooks or journals.

“Open the letter,” Blaine urged Kurt.

Kurt opened the envelope, took out the letter and gasped. He recognised the untidy slanted scrawl. He would have known it anywhere.

Kurt quickly read the letter all the way through, blanched and scrambled for his phone. He found the number he was looking for and dialled it, biting his nails nervously and pacing.

“Hello?”

“Auntie Mary? It’s Kurt.”

“Merry Christmas, Kurt!” Aunt Mary replied, sounding pleased. “It’s good to hear from you. How are you, sweetie?”

“Merry Christmas to you too, and I’m doing fine. Better than ever actually. Only, I’ve received some distressing news just now, and I need a favour.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Christmas story Blaine tells the children at the hospital is a Dutch children's story I've translated into English. It's a fragment from a story book called "Hannes en Kaatje, wat is dat voor een praatje?", written by Miep Diekmann.


	81. A Merry Little Christmas

# Chapter 81: A Merry Little Christmas

 _Everybody knows what a Christmas dinner is, so we need waste no words in describing this one, but hasten at once to tell what happened at the end of it. The end, by the way, was so long in coming that the gas was lighted before dessert was over, for a snow flurry had come on and the wintry daylight faded fast. But that only made it all the jollier in the warm, bright rooms, full of happy souls._ (Louisa May Alcott, _Eight Cousins_ )

For Blaine, Christmas break had started, so he was free to spend the day with Kurt, who was overseeing the decorating and fitting out of his shop. Blaine was happy to help, teaming up with Jake to install the wainscoting, helping Kurt paint the walls, replacing light fixtures, repurposing discarded wood into shelves for the workshop and thousands of other odd jobs.

Every day, Blaine was bone-tired when they came home, but the blinding smile on Kurt’s face as he saw his vision come to life bit by bit was reward enough for Blaine.

Kurt worked just as hard and was just as wiped out as Blaine, so their evenings were quiet. Kurt would cuddle up to Blaine on the sofa, but the television never held his interest for long, and he would reach for his sketch pad and draw new designs or reach for his laptop and write.

Blaine was glad that everything was out in the open now, and that Kurt felt safe enough with Blaine to write his book next to him on the sofa.

Of course, Blaine had a hard time trying not to wheedle information out of Kurt about his new book.

“Kuuuurt?”

“Hmmm, yes?”

“Are you writing the sequel to Winding Ways?”

Kurt looked up, his mind clearly miles away. “Hmm, what? Oh … No, honey, it’s not really a sequel. It’s a book that will stand on its own. It has Devon and Charles in it, yes, but it’s in no way connected to the Winding Ways plot.”

“So will they be dating now, in the new book?” Blaine asked eagerly.

Kurt looked up again, a flash of annoyance in his eyes. “Yes. Yes, they will.”

“And will they solve the murder mystery together?” Blaine continued.

Kurt glared at him and snapped. “I don’t know yet. Now will you please let me focus on my writing and LEAVE ME ALONE?”

Blaine, taken aback by Kurt’s sudden anger, apologised, and was silent for the rest of the evening, watching television without really taking in what he was seeing.

After typing furiously for a few hours, Kurt shut down his laptop, sighed deeply and smiled. He turned to Blaine and wrapped him up in a hug. “Sorry, baby. I get really cranky when I’m disturbed while writing. I just can’t talk and write at the same time, so you asking me questions completely pricks my writing bubble and then I have trouble getting into the right mind-set again.”

“Sorry,” Blaine mumbled.

“No, no, you can ask as many questions as you like,” Kurt promised him, “only, please try and ask them during meal times or such. Any time I’m not writing or designing.”

“Okay.”

“Hey… Don’t be mad at me, please …” Kurt implored. “Come here!”

And Kurt proceeded to give Blaine smacky kisses and tickle him until he was helpless with laughter.

They picked out Christmas gifts for the Hudmel’s together, and drove back to Lima to celebrate both Christmas Eve and Christmas with Kurt’s family, Blaine grinning from ear to ear at the thought of spending another holiday in such delightful company.

As soon as the door opened at the Hudmel’s, Sarah and Toby pounced on Blaine and took him along to the kitchen to help them decorate the Christmas cookies they’d made with Grandma Carole, chattering a mile a minute. Kurt joined them, and meticulously gave his gingerbread men and women a runway-worthy apparel.

During supper, Blaine expected Kurt to tell his family about the house they’d bought, but Kurt was uncharacteristically silent.

_He doesn’t regret it, does he? Is he scared of Burt’s reaction?_

After supper, they all gathered in the living room to watch Christmas movies. Burt sat apart in an armchair, as did Finn, but the rest of them all squeezed onto the sofa: Blaine in the middle, with Sarah on his lap, Rachel and Kurt to either side of him, and Carole next to Kurt.

Blaine thought of the large drawing room at the Anderson’s. Plenty of sofas and armchairs there, and no need to sit all piled up together. Blaine could picture his father’s lip curl at the thought. And yet, though Blaine felt a little squished and his legs were going numb under Sarah’s weight, he felt so at ease and at home that he wouldn’t have traded places with anyone else in the world right then.

_So this is what a family Christmas feels like. It’s wonderful!_

At 7.30 PM, they put the children to bed, and Blaine told them the story of _The Wicked Lord Chamberlain and the Kind Animals_.

Kurt and Blaine went back to Kurt’s after that, Blaine already looking forward to spending more time with the Hudmel’s the day after. He hoped they’d like his presents.

K&B

On Christmas morning, Blaine woke up to an empty bed. He smelled coffee and heard Kurt hum in the kitchen, so he yawned and stretched and sauntered off to join Kurt.

He hugged Kurt from behind, putting his head in the crook of Kurt’s neck and inhaling deeply.

_Ah, heaven!_

He would have preferred to cuddle Kurt in his soft, warm bed, but on the upside, Kurt was baking for him again.

_And what was that? Time to kill, is there? Come here, you!_

They all but forgot about Kurt’s baking, but managed to get the rolls into the oven and then out again before they were burnt to a crisp. Blaine helped frost them, taking advantage of Kurt’s concentration to sneak up on him and smear some frosting onto Kurt’s cute nose.

Blaine ran away, laughing delightedly at Kurt’s indignant squeak and threats of retaliation. Kurt caught up with Blaine, gave him a poke that made him collapse onto the sofa, still going into peal after peal of laughter, and smeared frosting on Blaine’s abs, which he then proceeded to lick off.

Then, just as Blaine was getting into it, Kurt casually wandered off to the kitchen and helped himself to a cinnamon roll.

“Hmm, these are delicious, if I do say so myself,” Kurt remarked, swiping a blob of frosting from his roll with his index finger and popping it into his mouth.

_Kurt Hummel, you tease!_

Blaine sat down on a kitchen chair and took one of the rolls, taking a big bite. Flavours exploded in his mouth, and he forgot all about any other cravings and enjoyed his breakfast. After eating two cinnamon rolls and washing them down with coffee and orange juice, he felt comfortably full, and smiled widely at Kurt. “These are just as scrumptious as their baker! Shall we go wash off the stickiness?”

Blaine didn’t wait for an answer, tugging Kurt towards the bathroom eagerly.

K&B

When they arrived at the Hudmel’s and called out a cheery “Merry Christmas!”, Burt gave Blaine a knowing look that said “ _I can guess what took you guys so long, but I’ll let it slide just this once…”_

Finn, Sarah and Toby were hyper at the thought of opening presents, and Kurt and Blaine gently ribbed Finn about behaving like a little kid, though Blaine had to admit that he was scarcely less eager. His parents usually just gave him money for his birthday and for Christmas, and Cooper either forgot festive occasions or took him out for drinks to celebrate, so he wasn’t very used to getting real presents. The last time he’d received one was at Dalton, from his Secret Santa.

Blaine waited to open his own presents until he saw the others’ reactions to the gifts he’d chosen for them. He was relieved that everyone seemed pleased.

Kurt gave Blaine a grateful kiss for the scarf, and showed him the picture frame he’d gotten from Rachel, with a stunning picture of Blaine and Kurt in their tuxes.

_That’s getting pride of place in the living room of our new home!_

Blaine unwrapped his own presents, and exclaimed over them, especially Rachel’s. Apparently, she’d been taking loads of pictures of Kurt and Blaine, alone and together, and she’d put them all on a photo viewer key chain.

_Wow, look at us dancing… And this is us in our prince costumes… Rachel, I owe you one for this! It’s amazing!_

They left the children playing and Burt, Finn and Rachel watching TV in the living room, and went to the kitchen with Carole.

Carole was as friendly and welcoming as ever, and listened to Blaine going on and on about his third-graders and how amazing they all were and what they got up to in class. Blaine snorted with laughter at the anecdotes Carole shared about Finn as a small child, and then grew pensive when she talked about her workplace.

Carole was a paediatric nurse, and she loved the children she worked with. She felt sad that they had to be in hospital during the holidays, missing the family fun, and even missing the volunteers who usually dropped in twice a week to read to them, but chose to stay home now because it was Christmas.

A thought popped into his head, and he looked at Kurt, who nodded slightly, and suggested to Carole that they could go to the hospital that afternoon and sing to the children.

Carole clearly had not been expecting that, but she liked the idea, and roped the others into coming along as well.

In the hospital, they helped Carole’s colleagues bring all the children to the big playroom, and then they sang their hearts out. The children joined in happily, their cheeks reddening and their eyes shining.

After the songs, Blaine told the children a story, and then he hugged each and every one of them before they went back to their rooms. The nurses told the Hudmel’s and Blaine that they were welcome back any time, and Kurt squeezed Blaine’s hand excitedly.

Riding back to the Hudmel’s again, Blaine felt on top of the world. This had definitely been the best Christmas Day ever, hands down!

Later, they were all sitting at the dining room table drinking hot chocolate when Burt told Kurt to ‘fess up because he clearly had something he had to get off his chest.

Kurt cut straight to the chase and told his father he’d bought a house with Blaine. He answered Burt’s questions quietly, looking like a deer caught in the headlights, clearly frightened that Burt would disapprove.

Burt, however, surprised both Kurt and Blaine by telling Kurt that he wasn’t angry, and that he could see Kurt and Blaine staying together for the long run, adding that he wouldn’t mind having Blaine as a son-in-law.

_Wow… That’s… Wow! Did I just get Burt’s official seal of approval?_

Blaine swallowed with difficulty. “Thank you. Thank you so much. That means the world to me.”

Burt gave Blaine a quick smile, which was genuine yet a bit sad, and told Kurt he’d miss him when he moved away, admonishing him not to forget about the Hudmel Friday Dinners.

They finished their hot chocolate and said goodbye to Finn and Rachel, who went home to put the children to bed.

Sarah was loath to leave, but quickly co-operated when Rachel threatened not to let Sarah and Toby have a sleep-over at Kurt’s during their Christmas vacation.

Kurt raised an eyebrow at that and looked at Blaine, but it was brand-new information for Blaine as well. However, he liked the suggestion. A lot. So he used his puppy-dog eyes on Kurt.

_Can we have another sleep-over, please? Go on, say yes!_

Kurt gave his assent, and Blaine beamed happily.

_Best Christmas ever!_

While driving to Kurt’s place, they discussed going back to the hospital once in a while to sing to the children.

“I forgot what a happy rush it gives you to help out and cheer someone up,” Kurt sighed blissfully. “Mercedes and I used to volunteer in an animal shelter every Saturday, but then she went to LA and I went to Parsons in New York, and volunteering went by the wayside, because we were both so terribly busy. I missed it, though.”

“If you’d rather volunteer in an animal shelter, that’s okay with me too,” Blaine offered. “I mean, the hospital probably reminds you of your mom, and how she died.”

“Oh, she didn’t die in hospital,” Kurt stated. “She would have, eventually, seeing as she was terminally ill. But the irony was that she died in a car crash. My dad was driving her to the hospital, for a check-up. They were driving through an intersection, and to their right, a driver ignored the red light and ran right into them. My mother was killed instantly.”

Blaine looked at Kurt with wide eyes, and squeezed his hand sympathetically. Kurt smiled. “It’s okay. It was a long time ago. I’ve made my peace with it by now. I still have my dad, and I have Carole and Finn and Rachel. And now I have you.”

“Always,” Blaine promised, and kissed the back of Kurt’s hand.


	82. The Box And The Letter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there are a few angsty chapters coming up again. Nothing to do with Klaine this time, they're still going strong. Warning for possible trigger, though. Sorry about that.

# Chapter 82: The Box And The Letter

“ _What made you feel that stomach-churning agony for one person and not another? If Bridget were God, she would have made it against the law for you to feel that way about someone without them having to feel it for you right back._ ” (Ann Brashares, _Girls In Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood_ )

The day after Christmas, Kurt started going through his things to decide what he would take with him to the new house, and tackled his wardrobe first. Blaine did realise before that Kurt had a lot of clothes, but only now did it dawn on him exactly how many.

Slack-jawed, he saw Kurt pull out of his closet a bedazzled Lady Gaga costume, complete with a wig and bedazzled platform heels. “What was THAT for?”

“We sung a couple of Lady Gaga songs in Glee club, back in the day,” Kurt smiled reminiscently, “and for Bad Romance we all dressed up as Gaga.”

Blaine thought of the Warblers, always wearing their navy blazer and grey slacks, perfectly starched and ironed, perfectly regimented, creating the most beautiful harmonies and meticulously synchronised choreographies, yet compared to the New Directions deadly dull.

_No wonder we never got past Regionals …_

And then he snorted when he thought of Finn dressing up as Lady Gaga.

_That must have been priceless!_

Kurt was now reaching in the back of his closet again, and resurfaced with - was that a cheerleader uniform? It was!

“You were a cheerleader?” Blaine asked, his voice high and excited.

“Mm-hm, I was,” Kurt confirmed, and disappeared to put on the uniform without any prompting from Blaine, whose mouth went dry and whose blood rushed south when he saw his boyfriend in it, because Kurt looked so hot. And then Kurt put some music on and performed a cheerleader routine with high kicks and backflips, and wow, Blaine was completely speechless.

As soon as Blaine regained his ability to speak, he ordered: “Keep the uniform. We’re definitely keeping it. No arguments.”

Kurt smirked and sashayed back to the bathroom to change. He kept unearthing treasures and modelling them proudly and provocatively, until Blaine just wanted to rip off everything Kurt had on and tug him to the bed.

He did pounce on Kurt eventually, only for Kurt to slither out of his embrace and announce that it was time for lunch.

_Kurt Hummel, you terrible tease!_

Blaine followed Kurt meekly and helped prepare lunch, telling himself that they would have enough time after. Kurt shot him a coy glance and smirked.

_Oh yes, he’s doing it on purpose, the little minx … Well, two can play at that game …_

And Blaine pushed his jeans a little lower on his hips and then reached for something in one of the highest cabinets, deliberately letting his T-shirt ride up so that Kurt could admire his abs and happy trail.

He looked at Kurt furtively, and yes, his boyfriend was definitely checking him out, and enjoying the view.

_Maybe I won’t have to wait until after lunch, then._

But just at that moment, the bell rang downstairs.

_Huh? The shop’s closed, who could that be?_

Kurt ran to the shop door and came back five minutes later carrying a bulky box, which looked heavy. Had Kurt been ordering furniture online for their new home? Apparently not, since Kurt seemed as much in the dark as Blaine.

They opened the box together and saw piles of books, with a letter on top.

Kurt opened the letter and gasped. As Kurt read the letter, Blaine saw the blood drain away from Kurt’s face.

“What is it, honey?” Blaine asked, concerned. “Who is this from?”

But Kurt didn’t seem to hear him. He reached for his phone, selected a number and then paced the living room frantically, waiting for the person he was trying to reach to pick up. That turned out to be Kurt’s aunt Mary, who wished him a merry Christmas and asked how he was doing.

“Merry Christmas to you too, and I’m doing fine. Better than ever actually. Only, I’ve received some distressing news just now, and I need a favour.”

Blaine hugged Kurt from behind, wanting to comfort him somehow, and felt Kurt sag into the embrace.

“Anything for you, dear,” Blaine heard Mary answer cheerfully. “Tell me what you want me to do.”

“Could you find out the current address and contact info of Sebastian Smythe for me, please?” Kurt asked.

“Sebastian Smythe?” Mary repeated.

“Yes, he was my co-star in “A Tree Called Life”,” Kurt explained.

“I know,” Mary assured him. “I’m just wondering why you want to contact him now, after all these years. You cut ties with all your co-stars.”

“He sent me a suicide note, that’s why,” Kurt said dully. “He plans to kill himself before the year is out. I need to find him before he goes through with this.”

Mary gasped, and Blaine let out a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding. His first thought had been of blackmail, and then when he heard the sender was Smythe, he didn’t know what to think. Suicide! No wonder Kurt was so upset!

“Can I call you back, sweetie?” Mary asked. “I need to make some calls to get the contact information. All I know is that Sebastian no longer lives in LA. I’ll get back to you as soon as I know more, okay?”

“Okay, thanks,” Kurt answered, still in the same flat tones, and he disconnected the call.

Kurt turned around and buried his face in Blaine’s chest. Blaine responded by tightening his hold on Kurt and gently kissing the crown of his head.

_I’m here for you, baby. Tell me how I can help and I will do it._

Blaine felt Kurt shudder and hug him fiercely. Then Kurt stepped back and Blaine saw that tears were streaming down his face, yet he looked… angry?

“Seb is such an IDIOT!” Kurt suddenly exploded.

Blaine raised his eyebrows.

“All these years I thought I meant nothing to him and I was so torn up about it, and now that I’ve found you and I’m happy with you, he sends me this!”

Kurt thrust the letter at Blaine.

_Dear Kurt,_

_I almost chickened out and didn’t send you this, but I figured you deserved to know._

_I love you, Kurt. I have loved you since the day you walked on set all those years ago and drew me in with your smile and those big limpid eyes of yours._

_I know this will come as a surprise to you, seeing as I’ve always been a jerk to you. The truth is that I had never felt like this before and it overwhelmed me. I didn’t like feeling so helpless and so needy and so dependent. I didn’t know how to deal with it. I still don’t._

_Plus, there was the fact that you were so much younger and therefore off-limits. You have no idea how I struggled with that all through puberty._

_So I did what I do best. I messed up our relationship before it could mess me up. I distanced myself from you, I treated you harshly, I did everything I could to make you hate me. Yet you didn’t. You were sweet. You were kind. You forgave me my stand-offishness, my jeers and my jabs and gave me another chance again and again._

_So every once in a while, I let you get close and talked and laughed with you. Those were red-letter days to me. But after each one, I panicked and drew away again, terrified at how easily you reeled me in, scared to death of getting hurt._

_I know now how foolish that was, and I wish I had been braver. Brave like you. You never were scared. You lived every day to the fullest, and found joy in the smallest of things. I’ve always admired that about you._

_I’m so sorry, Kurt, for everything. For not being the friend you deserved. For not telling you I was just as crazy about you as you seemed to be about me. For running away from your sweet sixteen party like a frightened chicken. For not apologising straightaway when I finally saw you again at the book fair._

_I came back for you, you know. I told my agent I came to Westerville to see my parents, but actually, I haven’t seen them since I was ten, and I’m perfectly okay with that. I was hoping to see you, and I was prepared to go to Lima and stalk you. I was overjoyed that you came to the fair. Only, you looked daggers at me, and me trying to defuse the tension made everything even worse._

_And then that Anderson guy started to sing, and you only had eyes for him. Vice versa too, it seemed. And when I tried to start another conversation with you, you completely blew up in my face. I deserved it. No doubt about that. But it made my heart sink to my stomach._

_You’ve clearly moved on. I’m happy for you. I wish I could move on, too, but there’s only ever going to be you for me._

_I’ve tried everything I could to forget you. Drowning myself in work. Drugs. Alcohol. One-night stands. Nothing works, and I’m miserable. Yes, it’s my own fault, I know. But I can’t take it anymore._

_They say a new year brings new beginnings, well, to me it only brings the same old over and over again, whatever I do, and I’m sick of it. It’s been ten years without you, and there are so many more to come. I’ve got nothing to live for, and no-one to live for. So I’ve decided to end things at the end of this year._

_I’m sorry to saddle you with yet another burden. This is in no way your fault. I’m the one who ruined every chance we ever had, and I’m the one who was weak and is weak still._

_Goodbye Kurt._

_I love you._

_Sebastian_


	83. Diaries and Phonecalls

# Chapter 83: Diaries and Phone Calls

“ _Jeff’s heart hurt, so full was it of warmth and loveliness. The warmth seemed to be coursing through his blood stream. He felt that his eyes were brimming with tears._ ” (Cynthia Voigt, _A Solitary Blue_ \- sorry, this is not a direct quote, my copy of the book is in Dutch, so I had to retranslate it into English)

Aunt Mary was surprised when she heard Kurt’s request, and horrified when she heard why Kurt asked, and promised to get back to him as soon as she could.

Kurt disconnected the call and turned to face Blaine. He needed a hug. Badly. Blaine held him tightly, his familiar smell and warmth and feel surrounding Kurt, and that made the tension seep out of Kurt.

_How I wish that Sebastian had someone to hug, too. If he did, he’d never think of…_

Kurt shuddered violently. He’d been so furious at Sebastian, so resentful, but now all he felt was fear.

_We need to find him. How I hope we won’t be too late!_

And Kurt cried silently for his childhood friend and first crush.

_I can’t believe he loved me all those years but never dared to let it show. How stupid is that?_

Kurt said as much to Blaine, and thrust the letter in Blaine’s hands.

Blaine read it through slowly, his eyes widening as he read, and then looked up at Kurt, his face a picture of shock.

“He loves you,” Blaine whispered incredulously. “Wow. I didn’t see that one coming.”

Kurt chuckled humourlessly. “Neither did I, believe me.”

“So what are those books?” Blaine asked.

“They look like journals,” Kurt mused. “Diaries? Let’s have a look.”

He grabbed the topmost book and opened it at a random page. It was filled with sentence after sentence in Sebastian’s handwriting. It seemed to be a rant about his parents. Kurt read on, fascinated, and swallowed with difficulty when he reached the end of the diary entry.

_Wow, Seb’s parents make Blaine’s father look positively progressive and accepting!_

“They’re diaries,” Kurt said out loud to Blaine. “This is 1999. He would have been ten years old at that point.”

Kurt counted the books. There were twenty-one in total. He checked the dates, and found that the 1999 diary was the oldest. The most recent one had an entry written on Christmas Day, relating Seb’s intention of sending all his diaries to Kurt.

_I don’t want you to keep hating me. I know I hurt you. So much. I can’t apologize enough. I just hope that when you read all this, you’ll understand me better and will find it in your heart to forgive me._

Kurt teared up again, and Blaine wrapped Kurt into his arms, rubbing soothing circles on his back and murmuring sweet nothings in his ear.

And then Kurt’s ringtone started blaring. _Aunt Mary!_

Kurt answered the phone quickly. “He-hello?”

“Hey sweetie, it’s me again,” Aunt Mary replied. “Listen, I called Sebastian’s agent, but Hunter had no idea where Sebastian could be right now. Apparently, the last contact they had was at the end of Sebastian’s book tour. After that tour, Sebastian sacked his agent and disappeared into thin air. He hasn’t been sighted anywhere, he’s not answering his phone or his e-mails, he’s not active on any social networks. I know that he sold his house here in LA, too, I saw it in the newspaper. I’m going to try and reach one of his aunts now. Maybe they will know more. In the meantime, you could try and contact Sebastian’s parents. I’ll give you the address. Hunter said Sebastian went to Ohio recently to visit them.”

“No, he didn’t,” Kurt contradicted flatly. “He came to Ohio to see me. He hasn’t seen his parents since the age of ten.”

There was a pregnant pause at the other end of the line. Then Aunt Mary spoke up, softly, tentatively: “Kurt, sweetie, are the two of you…”

“No, we’re not dating,” Kurt growled. “We never have. The last time I saw him was at the Westerville book fair, where we had an argument and I nearly bit his head off. And that was the first contact we’d had in ten years.”

“I see…” Aunt Mary trailed off again. “Well, I’ll see what I can find out from Myra or Lynn, and I’ll call you back!”

“Okay auntie, thank you so much for your help!”

Kurt turned to Blaine again, wordlessly asking for comfort. Blaine tugged Kurt along to the couch and onto his lap, gently stroking Kurt’s back and humming a soothing melody.

After a while, Kurt let out a huge sigh. “Thank you. I’m so glad you’re here with me. I’d go crazy without you at a moment like this. I feel so helpless. I know time is of the essence here, but I don’t know where to look for him, and I don’t know what he’s planning on doing. And I know it’s all in the past and I don’t feel like that about him anymore, but deep down I still care about him, and the thought of him killing himself is just… unbearable!”

With that, Kurt broke down and sobbed. It was ugly crying, it was gut-wrenching and cathartic, and when he finally stopped, he felt empty and bone-tired.

“Sorry,” Kurt sniffled, but Blaine shook his head and just pulled Kurt in closer.

“I just…” Kurt hiccupped, “I just don’t know what to do.”

Blaine ran his hands along Kurt’s arms, making him shiver slightly. “Well, I suggest we finish making lunch and eat it. And then, if your aunt hasn’t called you back yet, we’re going to read the most recent diary together to pick up clues as to where Sebastian might be. And if we don’t find any, I’m going to make you tell me everything you know about Sebastian, no matter how trivial or inconsequential, and I’m going to put my analytical teacher’s brain to work to figure out where Sebastian could be. Does that sound like a good plan?”

Kurt exhaled with a loud huff. “The best. Blaine, you’re wonderful. What would I do without you?”

Blaine tightened his grip on Kurt. “Let’s never find out, please.”

They ate lunch, Kurt distractedly picking at his food until Blaine started feeding him like a little child, and then they retired to the couch, the 2019 diary between them.

“You know,” Blaine mused, “I would never have guessed that Sebastian felt like this. So much self-loathing and self-doubt. He always seems so cocky and self-assured.”

“I know,” sighed Kurt. “This is a whole new side to him for me, too. We worked together for eight years, and I never had an inkling of this. I feel bad for him. Clearly, I’m not the only one who needs closure on the sweet sixteen party. He keeps beating himself up about it.”

“Well, he did go about it entirely the wrong way,” Blaine insisted.

Kurt nodded. “We might have been happy together, if he’d just scraped up his courage then. It wouldn’t have taken much. I was so far gone for him. Still, I’m glad things turned out the way they did. If I hadn’t come back to Lima, I would never have met you.”

“So…” Blaine trailed off, his eyes downcast and his shoulders hunched, looking small and vulnerable.

“Yes?” Kurt prompted.

“So when we find him, you’re not planning on declaring your passionate love for him? After all, you now know that he loves you too. You could have that happily ever after you wanted at sixteen.”

Bewildered, Kurt shook his head and took Blaine’s hands in his. “Sweetheart, you’re my happily ever after, and I wouldn’t trade you in for anybody else. Make no mistake about that. Sebastian missed his chance and will just have to find himself someone else to love. Do I want to find him and make sure he’s all right? Yes, I do. But when we find him, I’m more likely to rip his head off for worrying me so than to mention the crush I had on him once.”

“Once?” Blaine asked uncertainly.

“Yes. As in, it’s over. I’ve had several more crushes since then, and now I’ve fallen in love with you, and you’re it for me. Never doubt that.”

Kurt punctuated his words with ardent kisses, until Blaine flipped Kurt over, hovering on top of him and kissing the living daylights out of him.

A while later, as they were catching their breath, Blaine confessed: “I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you to him.”

“You won’t,” Kurt promised.

Kurt’s phone rang again, and he hurried to the kitchen table to answer the call. “Hello?”

“Hey sweetie, it’s me again,” Aunt Mary announced. “Listen, I managed to contact Myra, and she says Sebastian celebrated Thanksgiving with them, but seemed off, somehow. Skittish, and sad. He said he’d had it with LA. And when Lynn asked if he planned on going back to Ohio then, he shuddered and shook his head. He said he wanted to try his hand at Broadway. That he was going to crash at his father’s place in New York, and if the doorman wouldn’t let him in, he’d find a place of his own.”

Kurt exhaled noisily. “New York?”

“Yes, sweetie. Myra and Lynn don’t know the address, though.”

“You said you had the address of Sebastian’s parents, here in Ohio,” Kurt reminded Aunt Mary. “I could go and ask them.”

Aunt Mary gave him the address. “Good luck, sweetie! It’s good to hear from you, even in these circumstances. It’s been so long since I last saw you. Why did Robert and I ever stop coming to Ohio for Thanksgiving and Christmas and the like?”

“Because I went to Parsons and was so swamped in work that I persuaded my dad and Carole and Finn to come to New York for the holidays instead,” Kurt sighed, suddenly craving one of Aunt Mary’s sweet hugs. “And there wasn’t enough room for you two as well in my New York apartment, even with my roommate gone for the holidays. And then, when I graduated, I guess you’d lost the habit of coming to Ohio and forgot about it. You should come next year, Auntie. I miss you. Loads. And I want you to meet Blaine.”

“Blaine?” Aunt Mary sounded excited.

“My boyfriend,” Kurt grinned. “We’re moving in together soon. Say hi, Blaine.”

Blaine obediently came closer and said “Hello” into the receiver.

“Oh my, what a lovely voice!” Aunt Mary swooned.

“You should hear him sing, Auntie,” Kurt bragged. “He’s amazing!”

Aunt Mary laughed. “You’ve got it bad! I’m glad you found somebody to love, dear. Every time I call your dad, he sums up all your professional successes, but he never mentions you seeing anyone, and that tends to worry me a little.”

“Well, you can stop worrying now,” Kurt smiled. “Blaine makes me really happy.”

“I can tell… Well, I won’t keep you any longer. Go and see that boy’s parents, and find him before he hurts himself. Oh, and keep me posted, will you? I had to tell Myra why I asked her so many questions, and I promised to call her back as soon as you had more news. She’s worried sick.”

“Me too,” admitted Kurt. “I’ll keep you in the loop, I promise. Thanks for your help!”

“Any time, sweetie! Bye!”


	84. At the Smythe Mansion

# Chapter 84: At the Smythe Mansion

“ _Guy was led in, glowering, and stood before her. At the time of this encounter he was six and a half years old. Entirely without hope or expectation, he looked at Mrs Hodge. Small for his age, with the extraordinary air of compactness that characterized him, his chin lifted to receive the information that he was not acceptable, he waited._ ” (Eva Ibbotson, _Magic Flutes_ )

Kurt sighed, looking at the Smythe’s address in Ohio he’d jotted down earlier and mentally preparing himself to brave the den of an unstable and aggressive homophobe.

Kurt rejoined Blaine on the couch. His boyfriend was still engrossed in the 2019 diary, but looked up with a sweet smile when Kurt sat down next to him and grabbed his hand.

“Blaine, I’m going to Westerville to see Sebastian’s parents. I understand if you’d rather not come along. It won’t be pleasant, but I need that address in New York.”

Blaine squeezed Kurt’s hand, a determined look on his face. “I’m coming with you. And I’ve found some information here that might come in useful if Smythe senior refuses to help us.”

Blaine pointed to a passage in the diary. Kurt skimmed through it and raised an eyebrow. “Tax evasion, huh?”

“And that’s not all,” Blaine grinned.

Blaine rifled through the pages, pointing out more incriminating information on Smythe senior. Apparently, he employed illegal immigrants and forged identification documents for them. Moreover, he had a history of filing false insurance claims. Sebastian helpfully listed all the data.

On a more personal level, Sebastian had found out that his father had a mistress and had fathered two children with her. Once again, Sebastian had provided every proof needed: a copy of the birth certificates, a copy of the DNA test and photographs of his father and the woman were neatly taped into the diary.

“Wow,” breathed Kurt. “You’re right. That might give us the leverage we need if Smythe senior won’t give us the address. It’s unethical and it wouldn’t really sit right with me, but we need to find Sebastian before he harms himself.”

“My point exactly,” Blaine nodded. “Desperate times call for desperate measures. Let’s hope his father will be reasonable and this won’t prove necessary.”

Kurt took pictures of the diary pages in question.

“Can I use your laptop?” Blaine asked.

Kurt looked up. “Sure, go ahead.”

“I’ll book us two plane tickets to New York,” Blaine explained. “That way, we can head straight to Columbus from Westerville. Can you pack us an overnight bag?”

“On it!” answered Kurt.

Half an hour later, they were on their way to Westerville. Usually, they would have the radio on, and sing along, but now there was a grim silence.

Kurt felt jittery and anxious. By the time they parked in front of the huge Smythe mansion, Kurt had more or less decided what he was going to say, but that didn’t make it any less nerve-wracking.

They announced their names to the butler and told him they had urgent business to discuss with Mr Smythe.

Fifteen minutes later, they were brought to his office.

Smythe Sr, who looked every bit as handsome and striking as his son, sat behind a large desk. He glanced up briefly, acknowledging their presence with a nod.

A moment went by without anyone speaking. Then Mr Smythe snapped: “Well, don’t just stand there, wasting my time! Say whatever you have to say so that I can get back to work.”

Kurt swallowed and then bit the bullet. “I received a suicide note from your son this morning. Sebastian intends to kill himself before the year is out. I have reason to believe he’s in New York, staying at your place. I’d like the address, please, so that we can go check up on him and keep him from taking his life.”

“Sebastian’s no son of mine,” Mr Smythe growled. “Disgusting fag. Let him kill himself. Good riddance.”

That made Kurt’s blood boil, and his resolve to only use Sebastian’s damning information as a last resolve crumbled there and then.

“You may not care about the well-being of your son,” Kurt stated coldly, “but I daresay you care a great deal about your reputation. I have information on you that you would not want to be made public. I’m talking tax evasion, insurance fraud and forgery. Plus, I know about Irene, Ava and Jason. I have all the proof, too. So unless you’re willing to co-operate, I will not hesitate to hand the documents in question over to the authorities, to your wife and even to the press.”

Mr Smythe’s eyes bugged out of his head, and a vein at his temple pulsed visibly. “You… You dare to waltz in here and threaten me? Do you even know who I am?”

“You are a liar and a cheat and a bully, and you think you’re above the law because you have money,” Kurt spat out. “Well… Newsflash: you’re not. So give me your address in New York RIGHT NOW or I’ll expose you as the fraud you are!”

At that moment, the door opened and an elegantly dressed woman came in, her face anxious. “I heard raised voices. Is everything all right, dear?”

Mr Smythe, who had been about to yell at Kurt, reined himself in and said in clipped tones: “Everything’s fine, dear.”

“I’m afraid that’s stretching the truth,” disagreed Kurt. “Your son sent me a suicide note this morning, Mrs Smythe.”

Mrs Smythe blanched, and Blaine hastened to offer her a chair. She thanked him with a gracious nod and a faint smile, and then turned to Kurt again. “You think Sebastian took his own life?”

“He’s planning to step out of life before the end of this year,” answered Kurt.

Mrs Smythe took a sharp intake of breath and exhaled shakily. “And now you’re looking for him, I take it? Sebastian’s not here, I’m afraid. Ever since he left to live with his aunt, we haven’t heard from him. Not for years.”

“I’m well aware of that, ma’am,” Kurt assured her. “I came here because I have reason to believe your son went to New York and is staying at your property there. I came to ask the address.”

“I’ll get you the address, dear,” Mrs Smythe promised Kurt. “We’ll need to give the doorman a head’s up, though, or he might not let you in.”

At this point, Mr Smythe, who looked positively apoplectic with rage, opened his mouth to yell some more, but his wife silenced him with a quick “Not now, dear”.

With brisk energy, she moved to the phone on her husband’s desk and dialled a number. “Hello George, this is Adela Smythe. No, no, we’re not coming to New York. I was just wondering… Is Sebastian staying at The Lucerne for the moment? Oh yes, that’s fine, absolutely, he’s our son, after all. Say, George, could you send someone to check in on him and see if he’s all right? Inconspicuously? Someone of the cleaning staff? Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. Another thing. Two of Sebastian’s friends are coming to visit him, their names are…”

Mrs Smythe looked at Kurt, who prompted: “Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson.”

She repeated the names, and added: “You can let them in. Sebastian will be pleased to see them. Yes, that will be all. Thank you so much, George.”

Mrs Smythe put the receiver down and took a piece of paper and a pen to write down the address for Kurt. She handed him the paper with a smile. “Well, we won’t keep you. You probably have a plane to catch. Thank you for looking out for Sebastian. I’m glad he has such good friends.”

“Thank you very much for your help,” Kurt answered.

“I’ll see you out,” Mrs Smythe announced, heading to the door. Kurt and Blaine quickly followed, giving Mr Smythe a quick nod before they left. He glowered at them in response.

In the entrance hall, Mrs Smythe stopped them. “I overheard what you said to my husband. Clearly, you’ve done your homework very thoroughly and dug up all kinds of dirt on him.”

“I didn’t,” Kurt answered. “Your son did. And I’m really not the blackmailing kind, but I was angry at your husband for talking like that about Sebastian and for what he did to Sebastian as a child. Also, it was kind of my last resort to get that address I wanted. Mr Smythe wasn’t very forthcoming.”

Mrs Smythe chuckled drily. “I can readily believe that. So what is it that my husband has kept a secret from me?”

Kurt and Blaine exchanged glances.

“I think I deserve to know,” Mrs Smythe continued softly.

“Mrs Smythe…” Kurt trailed off. “Sebastian found out that your husband is seeing someone else. He has two children with her. I’m so sorry.”

Mrs Smythe sighed, looking sad but resigned. “I thought it would be something like that. Ours was always more a marriage of convenience anyway. Ah well… Good luck in New York, and please let me know that Sebastian is okay. I wrote down my phone number under the address.”

Blaine swiftly approached her and took her hands in his, squeezing softly. “We will, ma’am. That’s a promise. Thank you for your help.”

K&B

They arrived in New York in the middle of the afternoon, and took a cab to the swanky Upper East Side address Mrs Smythe had jotted down for them.

The Lucerne was quite intimidating in its grandeur. Kurt spent a moment gaping at the imposing building, and then snapped out of it when he thought of Sebastian.

They approached the doorman and asked him where they could find Sebastian Smythe.

“You’re the friends Mrs Smythe mentioned on the phone?” the doorman verified.

“Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson, yes,” confirmed Kurt.

The doorman picked up the receiver of his phone and dialled. “Mr Smythe? You have visitors, sir. Shall I send them up?”

The answer must have been affirmative. He smiled at Kurt and Blaine and said: “The elevator is to your left. It’s the seventh floor.”

“Thank you”, they chorused.

The elevator pinged and opened at the seventh floor. Kurt and Blaine stepped out and knocked on the door of the apartment. It swung open moments later, revealing a dishevelled-looking Sebastian, with bloodshot eyes and clearly more alcohol in his system than he could handle. Even from a distance, his breath reeked.

Sebastian’s mouth fell open when he saw them. “Kurt?”


	85. Looking for Sebastian

# Chapter 85: Looking for Sebastian

“ _Snape's patronus was a doe,' said Harry, 'the same as my mother's because he loved her for nearly all of his life, from when they were children._ ” (J.K. Rowling, _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_ )

Blaine was in shock. So many possibilities had raced through his mind when the box arrived, but not this.

_Smythe loves Kurt. Wow. So what does this mean for the two of us? Will Kurt rush to Sebastian and forget about me?_

Blaine tried to tamp down these selfish thoughts. It was a suicide note, for crying out loud, and Kurt needed his support now.

_Whatever you do, Anderson, be supportive and keep your whining internal._

So Blaine focused on the books in the box. Kurt thought they were diaries, and upon closer inspection, he proved to be right. The diary Kurt opened first was about the year 1999. Blaine read along with Kurt over his shoulder and commiserated with Smythe.

Blaine had an unaccepting father as well, so he knew what that was like, but fortunately, Edward Anderson never went further than verbal abuse. Sebastian had no such luck. His father had caught Sebastian innocently holding hands with another boy one day, when he had been nine years old, and had sworn to beat the gay out of him.

Sebastian had been beaten up by his dad time and again, until his aunt Myra had stepped in. She was a Smythe, but had been disowned by Sebastian’s grandfather when he found out she was a lesbian. So she’d made her own way in life, as a model and actress, and she married Lynn De Marco, a popular talk-show host.

Sebastian’s mother had called Myra up one day, in tears. She had explained the situation to Myra and added that she didn’t know what to do. Myra had contacted child services, and mentioned that she volunteered to foster her nephew, using all the influence she had as a celebrity to have Sebastian removed from his parents’ custody quickly and to have him come live with her. She also got him a role on the same TV series she was playing in.

Myra and Lynn provided a much more pleasant living environment for Sebastian, but they noticed he kept having nightmares, so they sent him to a therapist. After a few unsatisfactory sessions with a tight-lipped Sebastian, the therapist had recommended he write the story down instead of telling it to her. That’s how Sebastian started writing a diary.

Kurt closed the diary at that point, and clarified to Blaine that Sebastian must have been ten years old when he wrote all that in 1999.

Kurt checked all the diaries, and rifled through the 2019 one to find the last covered page. The entry was dated December 25, 2019, which meant that it had been written just the day before.

_If I’m right, Sebastian will not have expected the box to have been delivered so soon. We will probably be in time to reason with him and dissuade him from taking his life._

Kurt, tears streaming down his face, turned to Blaine again in mute misery, and Blaine hugged him tightly, running his hands all over Kurt’s back in soothing motions, and whispering that he was here, that he loved Kurt, that it would be all right.

Kurt’s aunt called back, revealing that Sebastian had sacked his agent, sold his house in LA and disappeared. She encouraged Kurt to contact Sebastian’s parents, and when he tersely stated they hadn’t seen Sebastian in ages and would be less than helpful, she gently inquired what Kurt and Sebastian were to each other. Blaine felt a bit ashamed of his elation when Kurt firmly asserted that Sebastian and he were not dating and weren’t even on good terms.

After the phone call, Kurt gravitated towards Blaine again. Blaine took Kurt to the sofa and pulled him onto his lap, softly caressing his back and humming under his breath until he felt Kurt’s rigid back loosen up a little. Kurt thanked him, and confessed how anxious he was, breaking into sobs.

Blaine’s heart hurt to see Kurt’s anguish, and he hoped that he was right and they would be in time to save Sebastian.

Kurt cried it all out, and then looked to Blaine for suggestions as to what they could do, so Blaine sensibly listed what he thought they should do, starting with lunch.

Blaine’s calm matter-of-factness seemed just what Kurt needed, and made him sit up straighter and jut his chin up in determination.

Kurt’s eyes softened as he looked at Blaine and pronounced his boyfriend wonderful. “What would I do without you?”

And just like that, doubt sprung up in Blaine’s heart again, making him hold on to Kurt desperately and wish on every star that neither of them would ever have to find out what it was like to live without the other.

Lunch was silent and quick. Blaine saw Kurt toy with his food without really eating any of it, so he took a forkful from Kurt’s plate and instructed Kurt to open his mouth. Kurt rolled his eyes at Blaine, but complied, and they continued this until Kurt had finished his plate.

As Blaine had suggested, they read the 2019 diary while they waited for Kurt’s aunt Mary to call back. It was interesting reading, to say the least, and it showed Sebastian Smythe in an entirely new light, highlighting all his regrets and insecurities.

Kurt agreed with Blaine’s assessment, adding that he felt sorry for Sebastian. That made both jealousy and anxiety burn in Blaine’s chest, so his rejoinder was sharp.

Kurt didn’t seem to notice. He was in a contemplative mood, and mused that he might have been happy with Sebastian, if things had gone differently.

_What? No, no!! You’re mine! I won’t let Sebastian steal you away from me without a fight!_

Luckily, Kurt added that he was glad to have met Blaine.

Still, Blaine was aching to know for sure. “So…”

Kurt turned to him, his eyes questioning. “Yes?”

“So when we find him, you’re not planning on declaring your passionate love for him? After all, you now know that he loves you too. You could have that happily ever after you wanted at sixteen.”

_You could, but my heart would be broken and I’m not sure it would ever recover. Please say you want to stay with me. Please, I’m begging you._

Kurt looked at Blaine as though he’d suddenly grown two extra heads. As though the thought had never even occurred to him. When Kurt spoke, his words confirmed that. He pledged himself to Blaine, and his calm certainty when Blaine questioned him further made Blaine’s heart sing and made him feel a thousand pounds lighter.

They kissed with abandon, every kiss a seal and a promise, and Blaine let himself be swept away by the heady feel and taste and smell of Kurt, Kurt, Kurt.

When they took a break to catch their breath, Blaine let slip what he’d been fearing, that he would lose Kurt to Sebastian.

Kurt’s expression was understanding and very earnest when he solemnly promised Blaine wouldn’t lose him.

Blaine was just moving in for another claiming kiss when Kurt’s ringtone blared again. Kurt ran to pick up his phone. Blaine sighed and picked up the diary again, leafing through it idly and stopping when a few scrapbooked pages caught his eye.

_Wow! I need to show this to Kurt as soon as he’s off the phone. Smythe senior probably won’t be inclined to help us, but this might persuade him to._

While Blaine kept scanning the diary, he listened to the telephone conversation with half an ear, and heard that Mary had more helpful news for them this time, telling them that Sebastian had gone to New York and was staying at his parents’ apartment there, though she did not know the address.

A flash of determination shot through Kurt’s eyes, and he asked for the Smythe’s address in Ohio, mentioning that he planned to go and ask them the New York address. Then he chatted for a while with Mary, telling his aunt about Blaine and even making Blaine say hello. Mary pronounced Blaine’s voice lovely, making him blush. That blush only intensified when Kurt sang Blaine’s praises, and Blaine smiled like a loon when Kurt mentioned that Blaine made him happy.

Mary made Kurt promise to call her back as soon as he had more news. Kurt put his phone on the kitchen table again and sighed deeply. He came to sit next to Blaine again and took Blaine’s hand. Blaine looked up and smiled encouragingly.

Kurt announced that he was going to Westerville to see the Smythe’s, and added that he didn’t expect Blaine to come along.

_As if I’d let you go alone, sweetheart… Not a chance!_

Blaine told Kurt firmly that they were in this together, and showed him the information they could mention if Smythe senior refused them the address.

Kurt declared himself hesitant to threaten Smythe senior with this knowledge, but admitted it might be necessary.

Blaine asked Kurt to pack them some clothes while Blaine booked them plane tickets to New York, and before long, they were driving to Westerville. As their surroundings became more and more familiar, Kurt grew ever more fidgety and became ghostly pale. His eyes, though, were steely with determination, his back was ramrod straight and his face showed no emotion.

The Smythe’s lived in a huge mansion, which was sumptuously but tastefully decorated. They told the butler they wished to see Smythe senior, and waited a while in the entrance hall before the butler ushered them into Smythe’s office.

Smythe Senior looked up and nodded at them. Kurt didn’t say anything straightaway, and Mr Smythe lost his temper and called him out on it, telling him to hurry up and say his piece.

Kurt politely and briefly stated why he’d come. His speech seemed to irritate Mr Smythe even further. He spat at Kurt that he didn’t consider Sebastian a son of his, and that his death would be welcome.

Kurt shot Smythe Sr a glare that could have incinerated the whole mansion and everything within a five-mile radius and proceeded to threaten Sebastian’s father with the information they had uncovered, switching to his lower register and towering over the man.

Mr Smythe was visibly affected, panic flashing in his eyes for a moment, before it was replaced by anger. Blaine stepped a bit closer to Kurt, intending to shield him if Mr Smythe were to get violent.

Smythe Sr tried to bluff himself out of this, insinuating that he was a very important person and they could not touch him, but Kurt was having none of that and scathingly stripped the man of his obnoxious self-importance.

And then a woman came into the office, shock and rage predominant on her face, before she wiped it clean of any and all emotions and innocently asked if everything was all right.

Blaine guessed that she had overheard Kurt’s accusations and revelations, and was rightfully angry with her husband. He very much admired her restraint and acting skills. Clearly, Sebastian took after his mother in that respect.

Mr Smythe tried to reassure his wife that everything was fine, but Kurt, shooting lightning bolts from his eyes again, politely disagreed, and told Mrs Smythe he’d received a suicide note from Sebastian that morning.

Mrs Smythe had apparently not heard that part yet, and her carefully constructed mask crumbled. Her hand went straight to her heart and she turned pale as a sheet. Blaine gallantly pulled up a chair for her and helped her sit down.

It took only a minute for Mrs Smythe to regain her composure. She completely ignored her husband, who showed signs of wanting to launch into another tirade, and questioned Kurt further. When he mentioned they needed the Smythe’s address in New York, she promised to give him the address and to clear their visit with the doorman.

Mr Smythe didn’t like that one bit, but his wife quelled his indignant speech before he could get the first word out. Blaine could swear she winked at him and Kurt before picking up the receiver of the landline in her husband’s office and calling the doorman.

That task done, she wrote down the address for Kurt and thanked him for looking out for Sebastian, adding that she would see the both of them out. She click-clacked out of the office, still resolutely refusing to acknowledge her husband.

As soon as they were a safe distance from the office, Mrs Smythe stopped Kurt and Blaine and told them she’d heard everything Kurt had charged her husband with, adding that she wanted more details about how Mr Smythe had wronged her. Kurt looked uncomfortable and shot Blaine a panicked glance, but in the end, he told her.

Once again, Mrs Smythe put her poker face to good use, though Blaine picked up subtle hints of the betrayal and pain that shot through her at Kurt’s words. When Kurt looked down, ashamed of what he’d learnt and now told her, the look on her face was scheming, though what she said to Kurt was neutral enough.

_She’s a formidable woman. I think Mr Smythe will regret ever having cheated on her. She’s already figuring out ways to make his life miserable, probably without him even realising she’s behind it. I’m glad we have her on our side! She’s a woman I wouldn’t like to cross._

Mrs Smythe asked them to let her know Sebastian was okay, shooting a pleading glance at Blaine. He reacted immediately, reaching for her hands and squeezing them comfortingly, and promised to get back to her.

K&B

Kurt and Blaine arrived at the Lucerne in New York at around five in the afternoon, and Kurt took in the splendour of the entrance hall with wide eyes.

They went to the doorman’s desk and told him they had come to see Sebastian. Thanks to Mrs Smythe, he was expecting them, and after calling up Sebastian to tell him he had visitors, the doorman waved them to the elevator and told them to go up to the seventh floor.

Kurt went very quiet in the elevator, his face an expressionless mask. Blaine wondered what was going on in his boyfriend’s head, but figured he’d find out soon enough, and contented himself with rubbing soothing circles between Kurt’s shoulder blades.

On the seventh floor, they found the door with “Smythe” on the nameplate, and knocked. They didn’t have to wait long before the door opened, and there was the man they’d gone to so much trouble for.

Sebastian gaped at them stupidly. His clothes looked as though he’d slept in them, his stubble looked days old and he smelled like stale sweat and alcohol. He was evidently three sheets to the wind. Yet recognition sparked in his eyes, and he rasped: “Kurt?”


	86. Sebastian Gets Called To Task

# Chapter 86: Sebastian Gets Called To Task

“ _Nora did not answer in words. She went closer up to him and deliberately slapped him, first on one side of his face and then on the other. The slaps were not make-believe ones. Then she went upstairs without looking behind her._ ” (Lucy Maud Montgomery, _Chronicles of Avonlea_ )

Kurt stepped forward and slapped Sebastian in the face, so hard that his head lolled to one side.

“Sebastian Smythe, you absolute jerk!” Kurt hissed, fury radiating from every syllable. “Do you have any idea what I’ve been through the past few hours? I got your note at eleven o’clock this morning and I’ve been on the phone for hours trying to figure where you could possibly be! I even went to see your parents to get the address of this place, and let me tell you, that wasn’t a walk in the park! I sped all the way from my house to your parents, and then all the way from your parents to the airport, and I never speed! I took a cab to get here and spent the whole time fretting as to what state I would find you in, and here you are, totally unconcerned, looking and smelling like a homeless person and drinking yourself into oblivion! Well, not on my watch!”

Kurt stomped past Sebastian into the apartment, and Blaine followed with an apologetic shrug and half-smile at Sebastian, who looked absolutely stunned and speechless.

“No more alcohol for you!” Kurt raged on. “That doesn’t solve ANYTHING! And go take a shower, you stink! After that, we’ll talk, unless you’re too wasted for that. Have you had anything to eat today? You’ve lost weight since I last saw you. Lots of it.”

Sebastian, who had in the meantime closed the front door and turned to face Kurt, was still doing his best goldfish impression.

“Well, don’t you have anything to say for yourself?” Kurt demanded, hands on his hips.

“You … you got the box? Already?” The words sounded thick and slurry, but there was no mistaking the shock.

_It’s as I thought… He wasn’t expecting us just yet. I’m glad we arrived on time to help him. Kurt is maybe a bit too harsh right now, but it comes from a place of caring. He’ll calm down soon enough._

“Yes, I got the box,” Kurt snapped. “What? You were drunk when you sent it, too, and this is all some kind of sick joke?”

Sebastian shrunk visibly under this accusation. He shook his head meekly.

“I … I was drunk when I sent it,” Sebastian admitted, “but it wasn’t a joke. I … I just didn’t expect … I went to the post office yesterday, late at night. Well, I guess … It might have been morning already. With the box. And the post office wasn’t open, but they were loading vans. And I went up to them and told them I had a Christmas present I’d forgotten to send. And this guy … He recognised me. Told me he was my biggest fan and all that. He asked for an autograph, so I gave him one. And he asked about the box, and I said it was a late present that needed to get to you asap. And he said ‘No problem, man! We’ll send it by Priority Mail Express!’ And he told me the price, and I forked over the money, and that was that. I hadn’t expected you to get it today. Tomorrow at the earliest. I guess the USPS works faster than I’d have thought.”

Kurt scoffed when he heard the box described as a Christmas present, but let Sebastian get it all out without interruptions, and appeared slightly mollified by Sebastian’s explanation.

There was a long silence. Sebastian looked at Kurt as though he expected another outburst any second. Kurt looked at Sebastian with a mixture of exasperation and concern in his eyes.

“Come here,” Kurt ordered at last, and when Sebastian obeyed, Kurt yanked him into his arms and hugged him so tightly that Sebastian let out a surprised “Oompf”.

“I’m so relieved to have found you alive,” Kurt choked out, his voice thick with tears. “I was worried out of my mind. Thank heavens I had Blaine to keep me from going straight into panic attack mode.”

Kurt then looked towards Blaine for the first time since he’d laid eyes on Sebastian, let Sebastian go and stepped towards Blaine, taking his hand. “Oh, I’m so sorry, honey. You two haven’t formally met, have you? Blaine, this is Sebastian. Sebastian, this is Blaine, my boyfriend.”

Sebastian’s mouth twisted as though he’d just tasted something sour, but he managed a clumsy wave and a “Hey” in Blaine’s direction.

“Hey man!” Blaine answered. “Sorry to come crashing into your apartment like that, but Kurt was really spooked by your letter and wanted to make sure you were all right. And read you the riot act, apparently.”

Sebastian chuckled, and Kurt scowled. “He deserved every word and you know it!”

Sebastian and Blaine both put their hands up in a placating gesture, then noticed each other doing that and cracked up.

Kurt looked at them as though they’d lost their minds, and that only made them laugh harder.

When their guffaws died down after a while, Kurt remarked mildly: “Nice to see you two getting along. Even if it is at my expense.”

Blaine and Sebastian exchanged a guilty look but wisely said nothing.

Then Kurt turned to Sebastian, his face earnest and sincere: “And just so you know, I don’t hate you. Okay? And I’ve forgiven you, so please stop hating yourself. You made wrong choices, yes, but so does everyone at one time or another. You need to move on from the guilt that’s eating you and believe that next time, you’ll do better. And yes, you’re right; you missed your chance with me. I’m with Blaine now. But I do care about you. I do. I want to be your friend. I want to help you out of this funk you’re in. I want you to be happy again. And I disagree with you; I think you have so much to live for. You’re such an amazing person, Seb, once you look past the swagger and the smirk. You’re wildly talented, you’re smart and witty and you’ve got your heart in the right place. I know you’re feeling alone, but there are so many people out there who care about you, who look up to you, who aspire to be just like you. So show them your true worth. You’re stronger than this. You can get past this. I know you can. And I’ll do whatever I can to help you. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

“Tha… Thank you,” stammered Sebastian, and he hesitantly moved in for another hug.

Kurt hugged Sebastian, and wrinkled his nose. “Ugh. Sorry, Seb, but you really need a shower.”

Sebastian stepped away from Kurt and chuckled again. “Okay, message received loud and clear. I’ll go shower. You guys make yourselves comfortable.”

Sebastian left them alone in the living room, and Kurt let out a gusty sigh.

“Feeling better now?” Blaine asked.

“So much,” Kurt admitted. “I’m glad we found him. And it’s clear that he’s in bad shape, but we’ll stay and help him, won’t we? Now that we’re here, I want to show you around New York. Maybe introduce you to some friends of mine who live here. I’ll ask them to keep an eye on Sebastian for me after we’ve gone back to Ohio.”

Blaine nodded. “Okay.”

Kurt went to the kitchen and checked the contents of the fridge and the deep freezer. “I’ll make the three of us dinner. Can you look for pasta in the kitchen cabinets? Preferably linguine, but another kind will do as well.”

When Sebastian returned, washed, shaved, neatly dressed and looking a bit more sober already, Kurt looked up and remarked: “Perfect timing. Come and have dinner.”

Sebastian smirked. “Does he order you around all the time, too, Blaine? Are you wearing a collar under that nifty bow tie of yours?”

Kurt looked absolutely shocked and livid at the suggestion, but Blaine hid a smile and just answered: “I see you’re feeling a bit better already. We’ll get your smirk and your snark back in no time.”

Sebastian flashed Blaine a small but genuine smile. He sat down, sniffed appreciatively and then attacked his plate as though he hadn’t seen food in days. He probably hadn’t.

Kurt watched Sebastian eat, concern plain on his face again.

Blaine twirled some pasta onto his fork and said conversationally: “So, Kurt, is this the first time you’ve come back to New York since your college days?”

Kurt’s blank look told Blaine he hadn’t heard a word, so Blaine repeated his question.

“Oh… Oh yes, it is. It’s been ages. I should call Elliot and Dani and Adam. See if they’re in town. Maybe go out for karaoke. Wait ‘till you hear Elliot sing! He’s amazing!”

“An ex-boyfriend of yours?” Sebastian inquired.

Kurt shook his head, seeming genuinely puzzled as to why Sebastian would assume that. “Just a friend. Blaine’s my first boyfriend. My last, too, if I have anything to say about it.”

Blaine beamed proudly, and Sebastian rolled his eyes. “Oh, you’re that kind of couple, are you? Sweet to the point of inducing nausea?”

“And proud of it,” Blaine grinned, stealing a kiss from Kurt.

“So how long are you planning on babysitting me?” Sebastian wanted to know.

Blaine looked at Kurt questioningly. His boyfriend seemed a bit taken aback by Sebastian’s direct question.

“Oh, well,” Kurt began, and then trailed off. “I haven’t really thought about that yet. Nor discussed it with Blaine. But Blaine’s on holiday break and I don’t have any urgent projects either. So we can certainly stay a few days, if that’s okay with you.”

Sebastian tilted his head to the side, mischief sparkling in his eyes. “You slap me, step into my apartment as if you own the place, order me around and commandeer my kitchen, and only now are you asking me if I’m okay with this?”

Blaine snorted - _Well, he has a point there_ \- and Kurt blushed and bit his lip.

Sebastian’s eyes softened. “Of course you can stay. As long as you like. And drag me along to any evening entertainment you’re planning. I’m already looking forward to hearing Elliot sing. Is he hot?”

“Very,” Kurt grinned. He grabbed his phone and started scrolling, presumably to find a picture he could show Sebastian.

“And gay or at least bi-curious?” Sebastian probed.

“He’s gay,” Kurt confirmed, and held out his phone for Sebastian to see. “This is what he looks like.”

Sebastian whistled low.

Kurt saw Blaine’s curious expression and showed the picture to him as well.

_Whoa! The guy looks like a rock star. Glamrock. Look at his eyeliner. Look at those boots. And he’s absolutely ripped. How is it that Kurt never had a crush on him?_

Sebastian’s thoughts seemed to run parallel. “Seriously, Hummel, how can you be ‘just friends’ with a guy like that? I don’t even know him yet and I already want in his pants!”

Kurt sniggered. “No surprise there! I’ll call him and see if he’s free tonight or tomorrow night. But first I have to reassure your aunt and your mother that you’re alive and in good health and that I intend to keep you that way!”


	87. We Were All So Young And Foolish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for mentions of domestic abuse. The title is from the song "Martha", by Tom Waits.

# Chapter 87: We Were All So Young And Foolish

““ _Get your hair cut. You look effeminate,” his father had said, his voice dry as harvested hay. […] The cold eyes had gone down to the other end of the table, where Bullet’s mother sat. She didn’t say anything, she never would anymore. The old man wanted to run things, and he wanted you to say something so he could knock you down with his answer and box you in tighter._ ” (Cynthia Voigt, _The Runner_ )

As soon as Kurt saw with his own eyes that Sebastian was right there, very much living and breathing, thankfully, the worry and guilt that had been eating at him - though how could he possibly have known Sebastian was in love with him all that time? - was replaced by pure undiluted rage.

_How could you do this to me? If I go prematurely grey, it’s all your fault! When I’m done with you, Sebastian Smythe, you will know never to pull a stunt like that again!_

Before Kurt could think this through, his body moved towards Sebastian of its own accord and his hand went up, slapping Sebastian soundly.

From Kurt’s mouth flew a torrent of words, speaking of the anxiety he’d felt and all the steps he’d undertaken to find Sebastian before it was too late.

Sebastian didn’t say a word. He just gaped at Kurt stupidly. That incensed Kurt even further, and he took to criticising Sebastian’s appearance and smell and obvious intoxication. Sebastian still didn’t react.

Kurt’s eyes flashed.

_We went to all this trouble to come see you and help you and you don’t even care?_

“Well, don’t you have anything to say for yourself?” Kurt demanded, his stance belligerent.

That seemed to shake Sebastian out of his stupor. “You … you got the box? Already?”

_What now? Wasn’t I supposed to get it? Was this all a practical joke and is he secretly laughing his head off at me?_

Kurt voiced his thoughts, his tone so acidic and razor-sharp that Sebastian visibly cowered and hastened to deny Kurt’s accusation.

When Sebastian was done explaining himself, silence fell like a thick blanket over the room. Sebastian was looking at Kurt rather apprehensively, no doubt expecting more harsh words and censure.

Kurt took the opportunity to look him over thoroughly. Sebastian did not look good. He was drunk, yes, and looked unkempt, but it went beyond that. There was an exhaustion and a listlessness in his eyes that didn’t come from just losing a few nights of sleep. With his shoulders slumped and his anxious expression, Sebastian looked so much like a lost, lonely boy that it smote Kurt’s heart.

“Come here,” Kurt ordered, his voice softer now, and Sebastian came closer, still wary. Kurt pulled him into a bear hug and let his tears flow at last, telling Sebastian he’d been so worried that only Blaine could keep him from panicking.

_Oh, Blaine! I should introduce him!_

Kurt, who felt rather ashamed of his outburst now, took Blaine’s hand and introduced Sebastian to him and Blaine to Sebastian.

Blaine, as easy-going as ever, launched into a cheery speech, apologising for their unannounced visit and Kurt’s tirade.

_Hey, I will have you know that Sebastian DESERVED what I said!_

Kurt said as much, and Sebastian and Blaine raised their hands in an identical defensive gesture that clearly meant “We get it, man. Please don’t start all over again.”

They caught each other having the exact same reaction, and that sparked a bout of hilarity that perplexed Kurt. His non-plussed face set the two goofs off even further.

_Well, I should probably be glad they’re not at each other’s throats. Once you’ve laughed with someone, you can become friends, right?_

So when Sebastian and Blaine stopped laughing, he didn’t bite their heads off, but just remarked casually that it was nice to see them get along.

Then Kurt addressed Sebastian, trying to really get through to him and telling him that he was forgiven, that they were still friends, that Kurt wanted to help Sebastian in whichever way he could, that he was valuable and loveable and unique, and urging him to please not give up on himself.

The message seemed to come across, because the next thing he knew, Kurt had Sebastian in his arms, hugging him gratefully.

_Ugh… Exactly how long has Sebastian gone without a shower? He smells as ripe as worn-out shoes._

Apparently, his brain-to-mouth filter wasn’t working and he’d remarked out loud that Seb stank, since Sebastian disentangled himself from Kurt’s embrace and announced that he was going to shower, encouraging Kurt and Blaine to make themselves comfortable.

As soon as Sebastian was gone, Kurt exhaled loudly, getting rid of any residual tension, and Blaine smiled at Kurt sweetly. “Feeling better now?”

Kurt nodded, and told Blaine he’d like to stay for a bit to help Sebastian and maybe show Blaine around the city and introduce him to his New York friends.

Blaine, bless him, didn’t utter a peep of protest, so Kurt headed into Sebastian’s open-plan kitchen and started raiding it to gather ingredients for dinner, roping Blaine into helping him.

When Sebastian showed up again, looking a lot more human and alert, dinner was on the table, and he told Sebastian to come sit down and eat.

That led to Sebastian making a lewd comment about Blaine that made Kurt’s blood boil, but Blaine brushed it off good-naturedly, so Kurt let it go.

Sebastian gobbled up his food as if he were scared his plate would be snatched away after five minutes. As if he were starving.

_I wonder how long ago it is that Seb last had a decent home-cooked meal. I’m guessing it was somewhere around Thanksgiving. Well, at least in that department, I can help. I wonder if he still loves bouillabaisse as much as he used to._

Kurt was so lost in his culinary planning that he completely missed what Blaine was saying, so when he found Blaine looking at him expectantly, he had no idea what to answer.

Blaine repeated his question, which was if Kurt had been back to New York since his college days. And he hadn’t, of course, which was why he was so set on staying a while and discovering the city again and catching up with his friends, maybe at Callbacks because he missed singing with Elliot.

Kurt raved about Elliot’s singing voice, and Sebastian quirked an eyebrow. “An ex-boyfriend of yours?”

_Huh? Where did that even come from? Gay men can be friends, I’ll have you know._

Sebastian next wanted to know how long Kurt and Blaine would be staying.

_Oh… Right… When we came here, the plan was to find you, preferably alive, and that’s as far as I thought. I’d love to stay until New Year, but… I can hardly invite myself, can I?_

Sebastian seemed to find his sudden shyness and reticence amusing, gleefully reciting everything Kurt had done so far without any qualms or second thoughts.

Kurt felt his cheeks burn with shame and looked down.

But then Sebastian relented, telling Kurt they could stay as long as they liked, and that he was looking forward to Elliot’s singing. “Is he hot?”

_Trust Sebastian to consider that the most important detail._

But Elliot was certainly eye candy, by anyone’s standards, so with a grin, Kurt scrolled through his phone for picture proof, while he confirmed to Sebastian that the promised hottie was gay, absolutely.

When Kurt showed Sebastian and then Blaine a picture of Elliot in performer mode, Sebastian catcalled, and announced that he already wanted in Elliot’s pants.

_Why am I not surprised? I think they’ll get along well, though I’m not sure if Elliot is the one-night-stand kind of guy Sebastian seems to be expecting._

Out loud, Kurt announced he’d give his friends a call, right after he called his aunt so she could brief Myra, and of course Sebastian’s mother, who’d be on tenterhooks as well.

Sebastian made a face when Kurt mentioned his mother.

“She was very helpful, Seb,” Kurt said quietly. “She stood up to your father. She gave us your address here and called the doorman and everything. I think she really misses you.”

“Oh, boo-hoo,” Sebastian jeered. “She never stood up to dad when he whipped me with his belt until I couldn’t sit for days. She sent me off to live with my aunt, for crying out loud. What parent does that?”

“Maybe a parent who doesn’t have the courage to step out of a marriage gone sour but wants only the best for her child?” Kurt suggested.

“She just wanted to get rid of me, like dad!” Sebastian hissed.

Kurt jutted his chin out defiantly. “Well, I’m going to call her anyway to tell her you’re okay.”

So Kurt called his aunt, and called Mrs Smythe. Both of them were glad to hear from Kurt, and Mrs Smythe thanked him once again for helping her son.

“Can I… Can I talk to him for a second?” she asked hesitantly. Kurt relayed the question, but Sebastian shook his head, scowling.

“I don’t think Sebastian’s ready for that,” Kurt answered regretfully, but an idea flashed through his head, and he put his phone on speaker.

“I understand,” Mrs Smythe sighed. “Look, I take it you know what happened and why Sebastian went to live with his aunt?”

Kurt hummed in assent.

“I’ve never forgiven myself for not throwing Andrew out the very first time he hurt Sebastian,” admitted Mrs Smythe. “If I had been as strong and confident then as I am now, I would have. But I didn’t. I was petrified. I was pregnant, you see. Expecting our second child after long years of trying. I took the pregnancy test on that very same day Andrew came home with a howling Sebastian in tow, swearing like a sailor and cuffing our son so hard that he lost his balance and fell against the wall. And I was there, making us a nice dinner and planning to tell my husband about the baby, full of happy thoughts, and then all of a sudden, it was all a nightmare. And I just froze and didn’t know what to say or do. I’m not proud of it. I should have kept my son safe. He was only nine years old at the time.”

Mrs Smythe’s voice cracked, and Kurt could hear her sobbing. After a while, she pulled herself together, apologised and continued her story. “I thought … I hoped that it would just be a one-time outburst, but Andrew kept being violent. And if I so much as said a word, he hit me, too. And then one day, he kicked me so hard in the stomach that I had a miscarriage. I was about four months along. And however terrified I was, my anger far outstripped my fear. I swore to myself that this was the last harm he’d ever inflict on our children. That’s how I finally worked up the courage to contact Myra and convince her to foster Sebastian. I did it behind Andrew’s back, all of it, because I was afraid he’d prevent it out of spite. Child services came to investigate, and I’ve never felt more like a lousy mother than I did right then. They saw he was black and blue, and that I was hardly in a better state. They took Sebastian away, and that was the last time I saw him, except on television of course, and on photographs Myra sent me every now and then. They advised me to seek a divorce, but I didn’t. You see, I did love Andrew. Once, he was my whole world. So handsome and so charming. And he was a good husband and father, at first, before it all went horribly wrong. So I wanted to give him another chance. I’ve never been a quitter. The only thing I decided is that I never wanted to have another child.”

Mrs Smythe let out a short, bitter laugh. “In hindsight, I wasted twenty years, didn’t I? Andrew had another woman on the side all along, and even had children with her! Whereas I was stuck here, regretting the loss of my precious little boy and the child that never was a bit more every day. I was such a coward. I was such a fool. All those years that have gone by, and what do I have to show for it? Nothing! I graduated summa cum laude from Harvard Law School, but Andrew thought a woman belonged at home, so I let my education go to waste. I had such a bright, wonderful, talented little son, but I let my husband beat him up and my sister-in-law take him away, and now I only ever get news of him by proxy. If he ever marries or has children, I’ll be the last to know, and I won’t be welcome. It hurts. It hurts so much. But I guess I only have myself to blame. And I’m glad Sebastian’s okay, and that he has good friends to take care of him. So thank you, Kurt. Thank you for being there for him when I can’t.”

Kurt swallowed. “I’ll look after your son, ma’am, I promise.”

“Let me know if there’s anything I can do, will you?” Mrs Smythe asked.

“I will, ma’am. Good evening.”

“Good evening.”

Kurt ended the call and shut off the phone screen, letting the phone fall onto his lap and staring at it for a long while, his thoughts whirling, before he finally looked up, straight at Sebastian.

Sebastian was deathly pale. His face was immobile and void of emotion, but tear tracks attested to his inner tumult.

Kurt caught Sebastian’s eye, and Sebastian unfroze just enough to croak: “I would have had a sibling. A sister or a brother.”

“Yes,” said Kurt simply, and that sufficed to set Sebastian off, breaking into heaving sobs that racked his entire body.

Appalled, Kurt hurried to Sebastian and pulled him in close, hesitantly rubbing his back, and when the sobbing quieted, he tugged Sebastian along to the sofa, between him and Blaine, and together, they watched an X-Men film.

They didn’t speak, and their eyes didn’t stray from the television screen, but when the film ended and they stood up from the sofa, Sebastian seemed slightly cheerier, and clapped both Kurt and Blaine on the back before saying good night and disappearing to his room.

Kurt and Blaine took their overnight bags and headed to one of the guest rooms, where they brushed their teeth and donned their pyjamas.

“Thank you for coming along and helping,” Kurt sighed wearily. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Blaine hugged Kurt from behind and dropped a kiss on his neck that made him shiver. “I was glad to help. And Sebastian is nicer than I would have thought. Funny, too. He loves to rile you up, doesn’t he?”

Kurt nodded. “Yes, he always has.”

They crawled into bed, Kurt snuggling into Blaine’s arms contentedly.

“Can we go to Central Park tomorrow?” Blaine asked. “I’ve always wanted to stroll through Central Park.”

Kurt smiled at him. “Of course we can. I totally forgot to call Elliot, though. Remind me tomorrow morning, will you?”

“I will. Good night, my love.”

“Good night, honey. I love you.”

Blaine’s eyes blinked open again, and he smiled at Kurt drowsily. “Love you too.”


	88. Rekindling An Old Friendship

# Chapter 88: Rekindling An Old Friendship

““ _It’s true,” Petra said, beaming at Zach. “When I first come here, and I knew no one except Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner and the children, Zachary took me everywhere. The Guggenheim, the Frick, the Met. Jazz clubs. Even to the zoo.”_

 _Zach looked even more embarrassed. “I like seals,” he said to me, as if to excuse the apparent oddness of his taking the au pair to the zoo._ ” (Meg Cabot, _Jinx_ )

When Kurt woke up, he found Blaine watching him and lazily trailing his fingers over Kurt’s arm.

“Good morning,” Blaine smiled.

Kurt let out a huge yawn. “Morning.”

“You’re so beautiful,” Blaine breathed, like he’d been thinking that for a while now and it just had to be said out loud.

Kurt squinted at him in the too-bright morning light filtering through the gap in the curtains and raised one eyebrow.

“You are!” Blaine insisted. “The morning light hitting your skin just so … Gah! It makes me want to lick you from the crown of your head to the tips of your toes.”

Kurt snorted. “Why? Do I remind you of vanilla ice cream?”

Blaine laughed. “Okay, Mr Prosaic, I get it, no more trying to be romantic early in the morning.”

“What about that was romantic?” Kurt asked reasonably. “Certainly not the licking part.”

Blaine theatrically clutched his heart and raised his eyes heavenward. “You wound me!”

Kurt giggled and tickled Blaine until he squirmed away with tears of mirth in his eyes and escaped from Kurt’s unrelenting wiggly fingers.

“Shower first?” Blaine asked.

Half an hour later, they strolled into the kitchen. There was no sign of Sebastian as yet. He was probably sleeping in.

_So much the better… I can’t deal with Seb at this hour of the morning before having ingested a serious dose of coffee…_

Kurt and Blaine busied themselves in the kitchen, making coffee and fruit salad and pancakes. When the first batter hit the pan and its delectable smell spread, it took only five more minutes for Sebastian to surface, yawning and stretching like a cat. His hair was a tousled mess, and he was wearing no more than his boxers.

“Good morning,” Blaine said chipperly.

Sebastian grimaced and clutched his head.

“I saw some painkillers in the bathroom,” Blaine remarked. “I’ll be right back.”

Sebastian sat down at the kitchen table with a groan.

Kurt looked up. “Couldn’t be bothered to put some clothes on?”

Kurt’s snippy comment seemed to wake Sebastian up better than Blaine’s mellow greeting. A gleam sprang into his eyes, and his mouth curved into a lascivious grin. “Maybe I wanted to show you what you’re missing out on.”

Sebastian got up from his chair again, twirled around slowly and then posed like a model.

Kurt suppressed a grin and gave Sebastian as good as he got, raking his eyes over Sebastian’s body slowly and deliberately, until Sebastian’s cocky façade slipped a little. Only then did Kurt pronounce his verdict. “You’re in nice shape, I’ll give you that. Impressive abs. But … It’s like that Shania Twain song, you know? ‘That don’t impress me much’. Blaine is my man, and I’m sticking to him.”

Blaine handed Sebastian a glass of water and the promised painkillers.

Sebastian thanked Blaine, and looked at him appraisingly. “Well, I could work with that as well… Your asses are both very fine, so I wouldn’t say no to a threesome.”

“That’s … What? Sebastian!” Kurt spluttered indignantly. He felt his face heat up, and turned back to the stove before Sebastian spotted his resemblance to a fire truck.

_Okay, it’s entirely too early in the morning for this kind of conversation!_

Blaine laughed. “We’ll keep that offer in mind. Maybe for our fifth anniversary or so.”

Kurt, who was in the process of slipping a sizzling pancake onto a plate, fumbled the movement, so that the pancake landed on the kitchen counter instead.

_Wait! What?_

“Blaine!” Kurt squeaked, turning around to face his boyfriend.

Blaine grinned at him unrepentantly, and next to him, Sebastian sported an identical grin.

“It’s almost too easy to get a rise out of him, isn’t it?” Sebastian remarked casually, and Blaine hummed in agreement.

Kurt gave the both of them his most withering glare, and warned Blaine: “You had better not mess with me again, or you’ll be having no more sex UNTIL our fifth anniversary!”

“Wow, with the both of you holding out that long, that anniversary threesome is going to be spectacular!” Sebastian quipped, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Blaine cracked up, and after a beat, Kurt and Sebastian joined in the laughter.

After breakfast, Kurt phoned his friends. Dani wasn’t in New York, to his regret. She and her current girlfriend Sarah were currently trekking through Europe with Sarah’s brothers and a few other friends.

“You’re crazy to do that in winter!” Kurt exclaimed, but she claimed they were having a lot of fun.

“So where are you right now?” Kurt asked curiously.

“In Croatia!” Dani yelled excitedly. “Sorry, I gotta go! It was good to hear from you! Don’t be a stranger, okay?”

“Okay! Bye Dani!”

Elliot, on the other hand, was in the neighbourhood, and very stoked at the thought of seeing Kurt again. “Karaoke night at Callbacks? Sure, sign me up! Who else is coming?”

“I’m bringing my boyfriend Blaine and my friend Sebastian, and I’m going to call Adam, too,” Kurt answered.

“Your boyfriend? That’s new. Since when do you have a boyfriend?”

Kurt giggled. “It is new. Since November.”

“Well, I look forward to meeting him. 8.30 PM, as usual?”

“As usual,” Kurt confirmed. “See you tonight!”

Adam didn’t pick up the phone when Kurt called him, but called back later, when the three of them were walking through Central Park. Sebastian had come along on the condition that they visit the Central Park Zoo. Apparently, he had a hankering to see the penguins.

“Hello?” said Kurt.

“Kurt? This is Adam. You tried to reach me?”

“Yes, to tell you I’m in New York,” Kurt announced. “Want to meet up at Callbacks tonight? 8.30 PM? Elliot’s coming too.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Adam agreed. “See you tonight, then?”

“See you tonight!”

Kurt stowed his phone away and smiled happily.

“So what’s the story with Elliot and Adam?” Sebastian asked. “How did you meet them?”

“Well, Elliot went to school with me,” Kurt explained. “We both attended Parsons, and Elliot was an RA at my dorm, Stuyvesant Park. And one day, he heard me complaining about my job as a barista, and he asked me if I was an okay singer and dancer. So of course, I told him I’d been in show choir in high school, and he took me along to the Spotlight Diner where he worked as a singing waiter, and got me a job there, too. And that’s where I met Adam and Dani, they worked there too.”

“You went to Parsons?” Sebastian asked. He sounded surprised.

“Well, yes,” Kurt answered. “I’m a men’s wear designer. Why?”

“I thought…” Sebastian trailed off. “You were such a superb actor. I thought you’d stick to that line of business. Or write, of course. You used to let me read your stories, and they were amazing. So I imagined you’d be a writer or an actor, or both, and that you’d have studied at Tisch.”

Kurt hesitated, biting his lip.

_Should I tell him? Can I trust him? Yes. Yes, I should. And yes, I can._

“Well, you’re not exactly wrong,” Kurt hedged. “I still write. I write thrillers. Only I use a pseudonym.”

Sebastian flashed him a smile. “Can I guess? There’s only one thriller writer out there that has your unique flair for drama and unexpected plot twists, and he’s conveniently a bit of a mystery. Mark Easterbrook. Am I right?”

Kurt doffed an imaginary hat and made a low bow. “At your service.”

“Yes!” Sebastian fist-pumped.

Kurt laughed and knocked his shoulder against Sebastian’s playfully. “Well done, you.”

Sebastian nudged him back and smiled at Kurt brightly.

They spent the whole afternoon at the zoo, and Kurt was surprised but pleased to find that it felt natural and easy to hang out with Sebastian. He wasn’t a third wheel in the least. He got on with Blaine like a house on fire, bonding over superheroes and bad jokes, and the both of them delighting in ribbing Kurt.

Sebastian was nice like this, Kurt decided. Now that everything was out in the open, Sebastian no longer seemed to feel the need to keep up his cocky persona and to antagonise Kurt with verbal jabs and insults. Instead, he was just himself, enthusiastically showing them around the zoo, laughing at the antics of the penguins and mimicking the snow monkeys until both Kurt and Blaine were in stitches.

On their way back to The Lucerne, though, Sebastian was quiet and contemplative.

“Hey, are you okay?” Kurt asked after a while.

Sebastian nodded. “Yes. I was just thinking… This is the most fun I’ve had in a long time. So, thank you, guys.”


	89. Central Park

# Chapter 89: Central Park

“ _It all felt a little surreal to Micah: the leisurely stroll through the well-lit park paths, Angel’s hand steady in his, the feeling that the world was as it should be: at peace. They kept talking, and for once Micah didn’t censor himself, didn’t try to establish the right thing to say or discover what his interlocutor wanted to see in him. He just was, acting and talking and reacting in the most natural way. That was a luxury he rarely allowed himself._ ” (Kate Fierro, _Love Starved_ )

Sebastian didn’t like the idea of Kurt calling his mother. That much was obvious. He told Kurt she was barely worthy of the title, having stood by without helping when his father beat him up and even sending him away to live with his aunt.

Kurt, however, brushed that off and called Mrs Smythe anyway. She seemed overjoyed that Sebastian was unharmed, and pleaded to have a word with her son. Sebastian was having none of that, shaking his head brusquely and shooting daggers at the phone with his eyes.

Kurt respected Sebastian’s decision with surprising ease, but when Mrs Smythe spoke next and Blaine could hear her as clearly as though she stood right next to him, he realised that Kurt had put his phone on speaker so that Sebastian would hear what she had to say even though he didn’t want to speak to her.

And then Mrs Smythe’s heart-breaking story poured out, and Blaine teared up. He glanced at Sebastian and saw that tears were rolling down his cheeks as well.

_Not as unconcerned as he would have us believe then… Good… I hope these two will find their way back to one another. They’ve suffered in silence for far too long. They NEED each other._

Mrs Smythe made Kurt promise to look after Sebastian in her stead, and Kurt readily did.

_I’ll help, too. In any way that I can. I know it’s not the same, but I have a homophobic dad as well, and I know how it feels to be the son that disappoints and that is not wanted._

Kurt took some time to compose himself after the phone call, and then looked at Sebastian, who muttered something about the brother or sister he might have had if things had gone differently, and then completely collapsed in grief.

Kurt hurried to comfort Sebastian, his face pained, and when Sebastian was all cried out, Kurt and Blaine settled on the sofa with Sebastian between them, watching The Wolverine without even thinking of salivating over Hugh Jackman.

Towards the end of the evening, Sebastian relaxed a little, and he managed to give them a tiny smile and a pat on the back before turning in for the night.

As they were getting ready for bed, Kurt thanked Blaine once again for coming along.

_There’s nowhere I’d rather be than right here with you, honey, especially when you’re upset and need my help._

Out loud, Blaine mentioned that Sebastian improved upon acquaintance.

K&B

Blaine started a little when he woke up in strange surroundings, but soon it all came flooding back, and he remembered where they were and why.

He slipped away to the en suite bathroom for a minute to relieve himself and brush his teeth, but didn’t quite dare to go the kitchen by himself and make breakfast, so he hopped back into bed, snuggling delightedly into Kurt’s body heat and closing his eyes in the hopes of drifting off to sleep again. It was no use, though. Once he was awake, it took ages for him to go back to sleep, if he managed at all.

Rather than toss and turn and maybe wake up Kurt before he was ready to, he contented himself with watching Kurt sleep.

_Will I ever get used to how positively breath-taking my boyfriend is even with crazy bed hair, sleep creases on his face and a tiny line of drool running down from his mouth onto his pillow? He just has the cutest nose… And I love how long his lashes are, fanning out like this… And the early sunlight makes his skin glow with an unearthly beauty…_

Blaine revelled in cataloguing each and every body part of Kurt’s he found attractive, his hand lightly following his eyes as he ran them over Kurt. He’d just started admiring Kurt’s biceps when his boyfriend stirred, and slits of greenish blue appeared from under his fluttering lashes.

_Oh, I forgot about his gorgeous eyes. It was his eyes that hooked me, that very first day…_

“Good morning,” Blaine sing-songed.

“Morning,” yawned Kurt in reply. He was evidently still shaking off sleep, and yawned again, stretching lazily, so that his muscles rippled under his pyjama top.

Blaine very much enjoyed the view, and couldn’t help but blurt out “You’re so beautiful.”

Kurt gave him an unimpressed look that said “ _Really? You’re telling me that when I’ve only just woken up and probably look like a mess?_ ”

And then Blaine made things worse by admitting he felt like licking Kurt all over because he just looked so delicious. That made Kurt snort and tease and tickle him.

_Okay, clearly I need to sellotape my mouth shut until I’ve had some coffee and will be capable of rational conversation. Also, complimenting Mr Grumpy-Pants this early in the morning is counter-productive. Noted._

They decided to shower before breakfast, Kurt telling Blaine to please keep quiet “or we’ll never hear the end of it from Sebastian, and anyway, it’s not nice to rub his nose in it that he’s lost me to you.”

Blaine accordingly was silent but efficient, and Kurt was more than happy to return the favour once he’d caught his breath, Blaine clamping his hand over his mouth to muffle any sounds he made.

They dressed at their leisure, Kurt assembling both outfits, and then headed to the kitchen. Sebastian was nowhere to be seen.

_Not a morning person? Or just hung-over? Well, at least the fridge and the pantry are well-stocked… And he did say to make ourselves comfortable, right?_

Blaine chopped up a few bananas, kiwis, pears and apples for a fruit salad, while Kurt made chocolate-chip pancake batter, claiming that it was Sebastian’s favourite.

Sure enough, as soon as Kurt started baking the pancakes, it lured Sebastian out of bed, following his nose straight to the kitchen.

Sebastian looked like a zombie. There were bags under his eyes, he was sickly pale, and he grimaced in pain when Blaine greeted him.

_Definitely hung-over, then. Let me go fetch some ibuprofen._

Blaine hastened to the bathroom. Behind his back, he heard Kurt snarkily comment on Sebastian’s lack of clothes. Sebastian, far from feeling abashed, seemed to perk up at the attention he got from Kurt, and lazily drawled that Kurt was welcome to look and salivate.

Blaine chuckled to himself as he opened the bathroom cabinet and took out the painkillers. He returned to the kitchen and filled a glass of water for Sebastian, who was now standing upright in a pose that no doubt was supposed to be sexy.

Kurt was ogling Sebastian thoroughly, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes, and finally conceded that Sebastian looked more than fine. Before Blaine could start to worry or Sebastian could get cocky about that assessment, though, Kurt added that he wasn’t interested in anyone else but Blaine.

_Ha! He still likes me better, though I’m not as tall and toned as you, Mr Superstar!_

Suddenly in an excellent mood, Blaine handed Sebastian his hang-over cure with a bright smile. That seemed to get Sebastian’s attention. He gave Blaine a quick once-over and loudly announced to Kurt that he would be up for a threesome if they were game.

Kurt’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. He was so shocked that it actually rendered him incoherent.

Sebastian sent Blaine a wink that clearly meant “ _I love it when Kurt gets all flustered because of something I’ve said_ ”. Blaine laughed out loud. He loved this mischievous side of Sebastian.

_How would Kurt react if I pretended to seriously consider Sebastian’s offer? Here goes …_

Kurt’s reaction was worth it. He dropped the pancake he was baking onto the kitchen counter and stared at Blaine as though he’d never seen him before, his expression aghast and betrayed.

Blaine felt his lips turn up into a wide grin, and knew that Sebastian was enjoying this as well.

Sebastian, addressing Blaine without even looking at him, teased Kurt even further by remarking that Kurt was so easy to rile up. Blaine agreed. _That is certainly true._

Kurt’s eyes blazed, and he warned Blaine not to make fun of him again or Blaine would only have his right hand for company for a long time.

_Okay, honey, I got the message loud and clear …_

Just as Blaine wanted to go back to spooning out the fruit salad into three bowls, Sebastian made another threesome quip, and Blaine lost it, laughing his head off until the others followed suit.

K&B

While Sebastian showered and dressed, Kurt contacted his New York friends to see if they could meet up. Dani picked up at once, but proved to be on holiday in Europe. Adam’s phone went straight to voice mail, so perhaps he wasn’t available either. Elliot, however, proved to be in New York and seemed very eager to meet up, and quite surprised when he heard Kurt was bringing along a boyfriend.

_Hmm, maybe it’s just Kurt who’s friend-zoned Elliot, and not vice versa … I’ll certainly keep an eye on him tonight …_

Sebastian strode back into the living room at that point, and they set out for Central Park on foot. Sebastian seemed in a good mood. On their way to the park, he showed Kurt and Blaine a little tea house called Alice’s Tea Cup, which he claimed they should go to one day. “Their brunch is amazing, and you guys will love it because it is so cutesy pie it’s right up your alley.”

In the park, he took them to the Strawberry Fields Memorial first, and then to Cherry Hill and the Bethesda Terrace. In no time, Blaine had an enormous smile plastered to his face. Central Park was just as beautiful as he’d imagined it. He took lots of pictures while Kurt was on the phone with Adam, who’d called back, and planned on joining them for karaoke that night.

Sebastian asked Kurt how he’d met his New York friends, and Blaine listened eagerly, glad for every piece of information he could glean beforehand.

Sebastian seemed astonished to learn that Kurt was a designer, and no longer an actor or a writer.

Blaine could feel the tension radiate off of Kurt for a moment, and remembered just in time that Kurt wasn’t in the habit of telling people he was a famous writer.

 _You should tell Sebastian_ , he thought, and he squeezed Kurt’s hand in silent support. _Courage!_

Blaine smiled proudly when Kurt owned up to writing thrillers under a pen name, and then his jaw dropped when Sebastian immediately guessed that he was Mark Easterbrook.

Kurt didn’t seem to mind Sebastian knowing. There was an easy camaraderie between them that spoke of years and years of closeness and friendship.

_I’ve never seen Kurt like that with any of his other friends… They must have had a special bond, and I’m glad they’re discovering it again. Sebastian’s nice like this, without the bluster._

They made their way to the Central Park Zoo, but before they could buy tickets and go in, Sebastian told them there was one other thing they had to see first. The “thing” in question was the stunning Gapstow bridge, which looked as though it came straight out of a fairy tale.

Sebastian nodded in satisfaction and grinned broadly when Kurt and Blaine voiced their admiration. “I knew you’d love this. True romantics, aren’t you? You should see this bridge in spring or in fall. Or at sunrise, then it looks amazing too.”

Kurt squeezed Blaine’s hand, and a look passed between them. _We’re definitely coming back here._

The zoo was a lot of fun. Sebastian obviously visited often, and immediately headed to the penguins. That made Blaine think of a bad penguin joke, which he shared with Kurt and Sebastian. Kurt rolled his eyes, but Sebastian roared with laughter and fired off a joke of his own. Swapping jokes led to talking about superheroes, and then they got into a half-hour argument about what they considered the coolest superpower and why. They only stopped talking when Kurt loudly announced that he was hungry and stomped off to the Café without waiting for them to catch up. That made them exchange a conspiratorial smile, and they delighted in teasing Kurt good-naturedly all through lunch.

After seeing all the animals, they walked back to Sebastian’s apartment, stopping at a hot dog vendor on the way because they were hungry again already.

Sebastian’s splendid mood seemed to have evaporated, leaving him silent and withdrawn.

_Perhaps he’s thinking of his mother again?_

But when Kurt asked, Sebastian only mentioned that it had been a long time since he’d had a nice outing with friends.

_It’s probably tough to have real friends when you’re a celebrity. Everyone always wants a piece of you for their own gain. I’m glad we’ve been able to give him a day to remember fondly. I had a good time, too. Now I understand why Kurt liked Sebastian so much way back. He’s fun to be around._

K&B

When they got back to the apartment, they had sandwiches for supper and then dressed up to the nines for karaoke night, Sebastian whooping and catcalling when Kurt and Blaine arrived back into the living room. Kurt blushed and shushed Sebastian, but his lips curved up into a small smile, showing that he did take it as a compliment.

Sebastian looked amazing, too. In his artfully ripped skin-tight jeans, combined with an emerald green shirt that made his eyes pop and a black leather jacket, he looked every inch a super model.

Between him and Kurt, who also pulled off the model look effortlessly, with his legs that seemed to go on for miles and his strong jawline and his muscular arms, Blaine felt rather small and insignificant. Yet both Kurt and Sebastian let their eyes linger on him, and Kurt announced he wasn’t going to let Blaine out of his sight the whole night because he looked far too delectable and the Callbacks patrons would be all over him.

They arrived at Callbacks ten minutes in advance, but both Elliot and Adam had already arrived.

“Kurt!” they waved from a table in the back. Adam started when he saw that Kurt had brought along two others.

“So… Who are your friends, Kurt?” Adam asked, a hint of annoyance colouring his tone.

Kurt beamed. “This is my childhood friend Sebastian, and this is my boyfriend Blaine. Sebastian, Blaine, this is Adam, and this is Elliot.”

Adam’s jaw dropped. “Boyfriend?”


	90. Pocket Rocket

# Chapter 90: Pocket Rocket

" _But I've just been telling Gilbert he looked a little tired. You ought to take better care of him, Anne. There was a time, you know, when I really had quite a fancy for this husband of yours. I believe he really was the nicest beau I ever had. But you must forgive me since I didn't take him from you._ " (Lucy Maud Montgomery, _Anne of Ingleside_ )

Kurt gave Adam an exasperated look, and asperity crept into his voice when he answered. “Yes, my boyfriend. What’s wrong with the both of you? Elliot seemed just as astonished as you when I told him about Blaine this morning, I swear! What’s so surprising about me having a boyfriend? Am I that ugly or bitchy that no-one would want me?”

Adam shook his head quickly. “No, no… It’s not that at all…”

“Then what? Tell me!” Kurt demanded.

“Well…” Adam trailed off, looking at Elliot pleadingly for some help.

“We kind of thought you might be asexual,” Elliot admitted.

“What?!” Kurt didn’t like that one bit. His expression went from slightly annoyed to downright deadly.

“Well, we used to go out together all the time, and we both liked you,” Adam continued.

“But whenever we would try and flirt with you, you either truly didn’t notice or pretended not to,” Elliot went on. “And if we tried dancing with you one on one, you’d wriggle away or push us away. And we saw that you gave every man who had the hots for you the same treatment. So after some time, we backed off and just assumed …”

“That I was asexual,” Kurt finished the sentence. “Thanks for clearing that up.”

Adam and Elliot shot each other a quick look, and then both mumbled “Sorry” in unison.

Sebastian suddenly chuckled, and Kurt directed his icy glare at him now. “What?”

“Very confident, aren’t they, your friends?” Sebastian smirked. “It wouldn’t even occur to them that maybe they’re just not your type. They’d rather think you were asexual than entertain the notion you might not be into them.”

Kurt glared at him for another beat, and then the ice shards in his eyes melted and he smirked. “Well, both of them DO have mad game, I can attest to that. Whenever Elliot starts dancing, men and women flock to him until he has to swat them away like flies. And Adam is slightly more subtle, but after a karaoke night, he goes home with his pocket full of phone numbers.”

“But you never felt attracted to either of them?” Sebastian pressed on.

“Not enough to want to risk our friendship,” Kurt answered, finality in his tone.

“Ouch,” chuckled Elliot, and Adam outright scowled.

Sebastian’s smirk deepened and turned sultry. “Well, if it’s any consolation, I’m still single, and the happy couple here deems me hot enough to consider a threesome with me, so clearly, I’m a catch.”

The reactions to that statement were comedy gold. Adam, who’d just taken a sip of his drink, spit it out again, his face cartoonish in its wide-eyed and wide-mouthed astonishment. Elliot spilled his drink all over his shirt in shock and stared at Kurt as though he’d suddenly transformed into an alien. Kurt blushed furiously and hissed “Seb!!” in outrage.

Blaine could feel the hilarity bubbling up inside him, and couldn’t hold it in. He burst into laughter, a loud, uninhibited belly-laugh that shook him up and made his eyes tear up and his sides ache from merriment.

Kurt rolled his eyes at Blaine, but couldn’t resist joining in, and before long, all five of them were laughing their heads off.

Once they’d caught their breath again, Kurt remarked drily: “If you wanted a sales pitch, Seb, all you had to do was ask. No need to make outrageous statements.”

Blaine sniggered again, and Kurt cuffed the back of his head and hissed “Stop it!”

Sebastian winked at Blaine, and then asked: “So where do we sign up for the karaoke? I don’t know if I would trust Kurt to do me justice, so I’m going to let my voice and my moves speak for themselves.”

Adam and Elliot had signed up earlier, so it was only Kurt, Blaine and Sebastian who went to fill in the sheet.

“Do you want us to sing a duet?” Blaine asked Kurt.

Kurt nodded eagerly, his eyes shining. “I love singing with you. Can we do “The Sound of Silence”?”

Blaine readily agreed.

“What are you going to sing?” Kurt asked Sebastian.

“I’m thinking Michael Jackson,” Sebastian answered. “Bad.”

“Good one,” Kurt approved. “Can we sing a song with the three of us? Something silly and fun, like the Beach Boys?”

Sebastian sniggered. “You want to sing “Good Vibrations”?”

Kurt gave him a dirty look and explained that he had the song “I Get Around” on his mind, actually.

Kurt looked at Blaine, who nodded in agreement, and at Sebastian, who shrugged and said “Fine by me.”

They went back to their table, and chatted for a while, until Adam’s name was called for the karaoke. The song he sang was “Bend and Break” by Keane, and he did it creditably. Well, seeing as he’d studied at NYADA, he had to be a good singer and dancer. That was a given.

Elliot was up next, singing “For Your Entertainment” and Adam’s performance paled into insignificance next to his. Elliot oozed charm and charisma, he moved around the stage as though he owned it and his voice was astounding. He seemed to really love performing, too. He gave it his all, and his smile could have melted a glacier in two seconds flat.

Kurt smirked when he saw Blaine and Sebastian’s reaction to Elliot’s singing. “I told you he was amazing.”

“Now I want into his pants even more,” Sebastian sighed, and Kurt snorted with laughter.

“You’ll have some tough competition, I can tell you,” Kurt warned him. “Pretty much everyone lusts after Elliot. See? They’re moving in for the kill already.”

And yes, Elliot had finished singing, and now he was surrounded by hordes of girls and guys swarming around him as though he were a rock star.

_He certainly looks the part … Wait … Is he really signing autographs? Yes, he is!_

“He’s giving out autographs,” Blaine blurted out incredulously.

“Yes, he was on American Idol a while back,” Kurt explained. “He didn’t win, but he was the runner-up, so people do tend to recognise him a lot. He released an album in January and toured all summer. He’s doing quite well for himself. I don’t think he’ll ever go back to designing clothes. He still designs his own costumes, though.”

After fifteen minutes of signing autographs, posing for photographs, talking to his admirers and hugging them, Elliot returned to their table, grinning from ear to ear. “So, what did you guys think?”

Adam and Kurt beamed at him and gave him a high-five.

“That was incredible,” Blaine complimented Elliot.

“A stellar performance,” Sebastian agreed. “Was that one of your own songs?”

And just like that, the two of them fell into an easy conversation about song-writing, and being pushed by your label into a genre that would sell but wasn’t entirely your thing. Elliot hadn’t wanted to compromise and had stuck to his own songs. Sebastian, on the other hand, had been persuaded into singing exactly what his label wanted. “They rejected the songs I’d written myself. Said they were too dark and depressing. That’s why I only did the one album and tour and then ditched them.”

“You were right,” Elliot remarked. “Don’t sell yourself short. Find a label that believes in you and lets you do your own songs.”

At that point, Kurt excused himself to go the bathroom. As soon as he was gone, Adam piped up. “So, Blaine…”

“Yes?” asked Blaine.

“How did you do it?” Adam inquired testily.

Blaine was completely at sea. _What on earth is he talking about?_ “How did I do what?”

“Score Kurt as your boyfriend,” Adam clarified. “How did you get past the ice queen routine? It can’t be your looks. You’re too short and a little on the pudgy side. I’m surprised Kurt doesn’t have higher standards.”

_Ouch … Retract your claws, Kitty Cat! Jealous, are you?_

“Hmm, I don’t know, Adam,” Sebastian drawled, looking Blaine up and down again. “I quite like a pocket rocket myself, and have you seen Blaine’s ass? Mouth-watering, I can tell you!”

Blaine felt a blush creep up his neck. “Uhm, thanks, I guess?”

“Well?” Adam pressed on, his mouth a thin line and his eyes hard as flint.

“I … I didn’t do anything in particular,” Blaine hedged. “We met at a book fair. My colleague Tina is a friend of his and introduced us. Two days later, Tina hosted a Halloween party and we were both there and talked for hours. And the next day, we met up again, and I asked him to be my boyfriend, and he said yes.”

Adam quirked an eyebrow. “Just like that?”

Blaine nodded.

“I guess Kurt is into that bashful schoolboy vibe you give off,” Sebastian mused. “It’s kind of hot, I’ll admit. And your singing voice probably scores you major points as well. When you were performing at the book fair, he looked completely mesmerised. Face it, Blondie, Kurt is totally into Blaine, so if you want to stay friends with Kurt, you had better play nice with Blaine.”

Adam huffed. “Huh … I bet it will take years before he puts out. Good luck with that! You’ll probably have to put a ring on it first!”

Blaine gave Adam a level look. “I would have no problem with that.”

“No problem with what?” Kurt asked, sitting down again next to Blaine and instantly entwining their fingers.

“Commitment,” Blaine answered.

Kurt smiled brightly. “Me neither. Sometimes you just know you’ve found the right person, and it all clicks together, you know? Even though I haven’t known Blaine very long, I know he’s the one for me, and I can’t wait until we move in together in January.”

That was another bombshell for Kurt’s friends, if their bulging eyes and stupefied expressions were anything to go by. Kurt didn’t notice. He had put his chin on his hands and was gazing dreamily into space.

Adam looked as though he wanted to interrogate Kurt on the subject, but he didn’t get the chance, because right then, Kurt and Blaine’s names were called out for their duet.

They moved to the stage, smiled at each other, counted to three and sang in perfect harmony, losing themselves in the other’s eyes, and only drifting back to Earth when a thunderous applause broke out. Then, they joined hands, bowed, and stepped off the stage, where Sebastian was already waiting for his turn. He gave them a huge grin and a double thumbs-up and whispered “You gave me goose-bumps!”

They decided to stay near the stage, since their song with Sebastian was up next, and thoroughly enjoyed Sebastian’s performance.

“Wow, he’s a great dancer,” Blaine breathed.

“I know,” Kurt assented. “I like your voice better, though.”

Blaine smiled in satisfaction and kissed Kurt gently on the nose.

Sebastian got a generous hand of applause as well, and then Kurt and Blaine joined him to sing “I Get Around”. Blaine enjoyed singing the upbeat song and thought they sounded rather well. The crowd seemed to agree, because they called for an encore.

Kurt waved Elliot and Adam onto the stage as well, and together, they sang “Walk of Life”. Blaine and Sebastian contented themselves with singing back-up and let the other three battle out who got to sing which verses. The song, however improvised, ended up sounding great, though Adam tried a little too hard to out-sing Elliot and Kurt.

After that, Adam seemed in a marginally better mood, and behaved quite civilly for the rest of the night.

The only notable incident from then on was a girl recognising Sebastian and asking for an autograph.

By the time they left Callbacks, Blaine was pleasantly buzzed, and slung his arms around Kurt and Sebastian’s shoulders while shouting: “This was the best night ever! Woo-hoo!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The songs mentioned in this chapter:
> 
> "Bend and Break", by Keane  
> "For Your Entertainment", by Adam Lambert  
> "The Sound of Silence", by Simon & Garfunkel  
> "Bad", by Michael Jackson  
> "I Get Around", by The Beach Boys  
> "Walk of Life", by The Dire Straits


	91. Karaoke Night

Chapter 91: Karaoke Night

“ _I struggled to find words to name the feelings that flooded through me, but I had no words strong enough to hold them. For a long moment, I drowned in them_.” (Stephenie Meyer, _Midnight Sun_ )

Kurt carefully selected a stunning evening outfit for himself and for Blaine, and he knew he’d succeeded in making them look good when they came back into the living room and Sebastian whistled and ogled them at length.

Whereas before, he would have frozen up and shrunk back from being blatantly checked out, now he only coloured up and hushed Sebastian, smiling a little. Ever since he’d met Blaine, he felt so much more confident and self-assured and open. That realisation only made Kurt smile wider.

He looked Sebastian up and down and nodded approvingly. The shirt in the exact same shade of Sebastian’s eye colour was a nice touch, and the leather jacket added a sexy bad boy vibe.

Yet he was nothing compared to Blaine. Blaine was wearing red trousers that hugged his legs and ass beautifully, a black shirt and a striped bow tie in white, red and blue, and he looked good enough to eat. Judging by his hungry looks, Sebastian seemed to agree with Kurt’s assessment, and Kurt knew that the Callbacks crowd would find him just as delectable.

_I’m keeping a close eye on Blaine tonight. I don’t want him mobbed or groped._

At Callbacks, Kurt spotted Elliot and Adam immediately, and grinned from ear to ear.

_It’s been too long! I’m so glad we could meet up while I’m in New York._

Adam seemed surprised that Kurt had brought two more people, and asked to be introduced, so Kurt did the honours. When he introduced Blaine as his boyfriend, Adam’s mouth fell open. “Boyfriend?”

_Really, what IS it with my friends? Come to think of it, Elliot seemed just as astonished this morning to find out I had a boyfriend …_

Kurt made this observation out loud, rather snappishly, and wondered what was so wrong about him that his friends didn’t think he could score a boyfriend.

Both Adam and Elliot looked sheepish and a bit guilty, and ended up admitting that they had thought Kurt was asexual, because he’d never once reacted positively to their advances or anyone else’s when they went out together.

_Wow … Really? Wow, thanks guys … Frigid, am I? Maybe there just wasn’t anyone in the crowd that I liked, have you considered that possibility?_

Their exchange clearly amused Sebastian, who subtly hinted that Adam and Elliot were cocky to consider themselves so irresistible and may have been a little hasty in their labelling.

Kurt, who felt very resentful at his friends’ assumption, was glad that Sebastian called them out on it.

_He’s got my back. He really is a good friend. I’m so glad we’ve found our way back to one another._

His anger at Adam and Elliot abated, and Kurt told Sebastian quite truthfully that they had reason to be cocky. Elliot was like catnip to both men and women, and Adam had no trouble getting laid either.

“But you never felt attracted to either of them?” Sebastian wanted to know.

“Not enough to want to risk our friendship,” Kurt answered simply.

Elliot took that rather well, but Adam looked like thunder.

A teasing glint sprung into Sebastian’s eye when he noticed Adam’s sour expression, and he decided to taunt Adam a bit more by telling him that Kurt and Blaine were thinking about a threesome with Sebastian.

_Ugh, Seb, did you really have to bring that up again? It’s not even true! It was just you and Blaine being silly!_

Kurt felt mortified, and hissed at Sebastian to behave himself.

Blaine seemed to think it was funny though, and his laughter was so infectious that Kurt and the others joined in helplessly.

Sebastian professed himself eager to sing karaoke, and so were Kurt and Blaine, so they signed up for the songs they wanted and then went back to their table to wait for their turn.

Adam sang first, his voice ringing out high and clear. Kurt enjoyed the song, but wished Adam would have looked somewhere else than at him and Blaine once in a while. Clearly, Adam had not taken the news that Kurt had a boyfriend well.

_Funny … I don’t think he’s ever asked me out while I was studying here. The four of us went out together plenty of times, but apart from light flirting and some drunken grinding that I soon put a stop to because I didn’t like it, nothing ever happened. If he really liked me, wouldn’t he have said something, or tried to kiss me on New Year’s Eve? Ah well… His loss._

Kurt congratulated Adam politely, and turned his attention back to the stage, where Elliot was now singing one of his own songs, and really killing it. Kurt moved to the beat and laughed at Blaine and Sebastian’s awestruck expressions. “I told you he was amazing.”

Adam scowled again when he heard Kurt praise Elliot.

_Really, what is WITH him tonight? He’s behaving like a disgruntled toddler who’s seen a toy he wants picked up by someone else. Seriously, grow up, will you? This type of behaviour isn’t even remotely attractive._

By now, Elliot had finished singing, and his fans were surrounding him and clamouring for autographs. When Blaine commented on that, Kurt explained about Elliot participating in American Idol and becoming the next break-out star.

Sebastian listened eagerly, with a gleam in his eye that told Kurt he’d enjoyed Elliot’s rock star performance and wouldn’t be opposed to getting to know him better.

_Hmm, interesting… I wonder how Elliot will react to Sebastian channelling his inner Michael Jackson._

Elliot had a spring in his step when he returned to them, and accepted their high-fives and compliments with a huge smile. Sebastian asked him if he’d chosen one of his own songs, and before Kurt could so much as blink, Seb and Elliot were deep in conversation about the ever-present struggle to stay true to yourself when you were in the public eye and your label had certain expectations of you.

_Well, what do you know … They have more in common than I thought. Maybe Elliot won’t mind if I ask him to keep an eye on Seb once Blaine and I will be back in Ohio._

Kurt noticed that it was nearly his and Blaine’s turn to sing, and decided to take a bathroom break first. When he came back, he caught the tail end of a conversation between Adam and Blaine. Adam was cattily saying that Kurt probably wouldn’t put out until Blaine married him, and Blaine just answered calmly and quietly that he’d have no problem with that.

_Wow! Did he just say…? Okay, I mustn’t let on I heard what Adam said … Honestly, I never thought he could be so petty and mean! But Blaine… Wow… What did I ever do to deserve such a perfect man?_

Kurt schooled his face into a neutral expression and inquired innocently: “No problem with what?”, manoeuvring his chair closer to Blaine’s so that he felt the warmth of Blaine’s thigh against his and weaving his fingers through Blaine’s.

“Commitment,”Blaine answered softly, his eyes locking onto Kurt’s and conveying so much love and devotion that Kurt felt like he’d just swallowed the sun.

Kurt heartily agreed, telling his friends that he and Blaine would be moving in together in January, and that he couldn’t wait. And then he completely spaced out and drifted off into a daydream about their beautiful house, and maybe a dog or a cat, or both, and summer nights reading on the porch swing, and making love on a soft rug in front of the fireplace.

Blaine’s voice called him back. “Kurt? Kurt, love… It’s our turn to sing.”

The duet was as effortless as their falling in love had been, their voices blending beautifully, and Kurt and Blaine forgot everything and everyone around them and just sang their hearts out. The crowd loved it, clapping like mad, and Sebastian, who was up next, whispered something about goose-bumps.

Kurt, still on a high from the duet, grabbed Blaine’s face with both hands and kissed him passionately until the music for Sebastian’s song started.

Sebastian did well. He certainly wasn’t kidding about having good moves. He was flawless. Still, Kurt liked Blaine’s voice better, and told Blaine so. That earned him a broad grin and a sweet peck on the nose.

After Sebastian’s solo, all three of them sang together, which was a lot of fun. When the audience asked for an encore, Kurt gestured to Adam and Elliot to join them. Adam seemed pleased to be included and finally lost his scowl.

They didn’t sing again after that, content to catch up with each other’s lives. Elliot was working on his second album and had another series of concerts lined up in the months to come. Adam had been cast as an understudy in an off off Broadway production of Hamlet.

Sebastian told some amusing anecdotes from his book tour, and Blaine chimed in with some stories of his own. Blaine was just describing a five-year-old girl who’d come up to him and told him proudly that she could write her own name now, “and can I write it down in the book, too, just like you?”, when they heard a loud squeal behind them.

A teenage girl tapped Sebastian on the shoulder and asked breathlessly: “Are you The Flash? Can I please please PLEASE have your autograph?”

Sebastian smiled at her and said “Of course”, scribbling his autograph with a flourish, taking a selfie with her without even blinking when the flash went off, and giving her a hug.

Kurt quirked his eyebrow at Sebastian. “Are you The Flash? I thought that role was played by someone else?”

“Oh, it is,”Sebastian nodded. “Grant Gustin. We always get mistaken for one another because we look so much alike. In the beginning, when a fan would ask me if I was The Flash, I would tell them no and see them walk away with a sad face. And then I thought, why can’t I just pretend and make them happy? So now I sign an autograph even if it’s The Flash they want and not me. Gustin doesn’t seem to mind. When they tweet those pictures, he favourites them. And he signs autographs and takes pictures in my name, too. It’s a win-win.”


	92. Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After Chapter 100, I'll change my updating schedule to only two updates a week. I'm sorry, but it takes too much out of me to keep updating three times a week for months on end.

“ _There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour._ ” (Charles Dickens, _A Christmas Carol_ )

When they left Callbacks, it was obvious that Blaine wasn’t used to drinking alcohol. He’d been nursing the same drink the whole night, but clearly, one drink was still too many. It turned Blaine into an adorable klutz, who risked falling over his own feet and bumping into a lamp post. It also made Blaine even cuddlier than usual, and destroyed his filter.

They were walking back to the apartment, Blaine in between Kurt and Sebastian, his arms around their shoulders. Though they had only walked five blocks so far, Blaine had already spilled his guts about not liking Adam, about thinking that Elliot had a wonderful voice and was one of the most good-looking men he’d ever met, and about wishing Kurt would put eyeliner on sometime like Elliot had because it would make his eyes look amazing, even more so than usual.

Blaine continued rhapsodising about Kurt’s eyes and how mesmerising they were and how they changed colours - “It’s magic, Kurt, really it is” - for quite a while, and then moved on to all the other things about Kurt that he liked. Kurt blushed up a storm, especially when Blaine started talking about very private body parts with Sebastian RIGHT THERE, but every attempt of Kurt’s to change the topic fell flat.

Every now and then, Kurt heard a snigger coming from Sebastian’s direction, but it wasn’t until Blaine brought up the threesome again - “I know you’re kind of against it on principle, I’m just saying that if we’d ever want to try something like that, it makes sense to do it with Sebastian, you know, seeing as we know him and kind of like him and he’s hot and probably really good at sex, you know” - that Sebastian really lost it. First his shoulders shook suspiciously. Then he stopped walking and bent over, clutching his stomach, his shouts of laughter ringing through the quiet street.

Blaine, startled by Sebastian’s sudden merriment, stopped talking and looked so puzzled that Kurt - however much his face had flamed up again and however much he HATED this topic and never wanted it broached again, thank you very much - started giggling, too, until all three of them were laughing their heads off right there on the street.

When Sebastian finally straightened up again, he clapped Blaine on the back, and Kurt had to hurry to catch Blaine before he face-planted on the sidewalk.

“Thanks man,” Sebastian wheezed, still rather breathless. “It’s been ages since I’ve laughed like this, and it does me good.”

Blaine blinked at him with adorable wide puppy-dog eyes, still not fully comprehending why Sebastian had laughed in the first place, and grinned widely. “You’re welcome, I guess?”

Sebastian grabbed Blaine’s arm and put it over his shoulder again, and gestured for Kurt to do the same. “Come on, let’s get you home. And for the record, I kind of like you too.”

That made Blaine beam at Sebastian, and inquire: “So can we be, like, friends?”

Sebastian chuckled. “I thought we already were. Or would you consider threesomes with just about anyone?”

Kurt groaned in annoyance. _Enough already! Would you stop, please?_

Blaine, however, did not get the memo, and happily answered: “Oh no, I wouldn’t. So, friends.”

“Friends,” Sebastian confirmed solemnly, and that made Kurt choke up.

_I’m so, so thankful they’re getting along, because they are both so important to me. I’m glad Sebastian didn’t react to Blaine the way Adam did._

K&B

The next days passed by quickly. Sebastian didn’t seem to mind their company in the slightest, offering to show Blaine all the touristy spots and even going shopping with them, citing he needed new dress shoes.

In the evenings, they stayed in and watched TV or played video games or just sat and talked. Sebastian opened up bit by bit. He’d confessed that the note had been the result of almost drinking himself into a coma, combined with the crippling loneliness he felt all the time.

“You left such a hole in my life when you disappeared. I was devastated. And I felt sure it was my fault that you were gone, so I felt guilty.”

Kurt bit his lip. “It was because of you that I left. Because I thought you didn’t care about me, and I just couldn’t take it anymore. Not after …”

Kurt blushed, and Sebastian nodded understandingly. “I shouldn’t have run away like that. Of course it gave you the wrong idea. The truth is that I was scared out of my mind. You were so young. Too young. It was not supposed to have happened. You deserved way better. Romance and love declarations and all of that. I wanted to wait until you were eighteen.”

Kurt flinched at the pain in Sebastian’s eyes, and hurried to reassure him. “It’s okay. Yes, you could have handled it better, and yes, you hurt me, but now I understand better where you were coming from, and I’ve forgiven you. I’ve made my peace with it, and you must, too. Stop beating yourself up over this. Please.”

Sebastian also confessed that he hadn’t known his father beat up his mother, too. “I truly thought she didn’t care about me. But I guess she was trying to protect me, in her own way.”

“She was,” Kurt nodded. “I think you should reach out to her, someday soon. Mend the bridges. You both need each other in your lives. And you should seek help, too, for your drinking problem, and see a therapist for your childhood issues. You’re doing better now and feeling great because Blaine and I are here, but I don’t want you to relapse as soon as we’re back in Ohio. We’ll keep in touch, of course, but it won’t be the same as us being here, and I don’t want to constantly worry about you. Wonder if you’re eating, if you’re sleeping, if you’re drinking yourself into oblivion again. Please … Sort yourself out. I don’t want to lose you.”

So Sebastian looked up where the nearest AA meeting was, and contacted a psychologist to schedule an appointment. He dutifully went to the meeting and the appointment, and both times, he came back with obvious tear tracks on his cheeks. Blaine and Kurt didn’t comment on that. They simply hugged him, hard, and Kurt made Sebastian’s favourite dishes, and lightly talked about those years they were on the TV show, reminiscing with Sebastian and sharing funny anecdotes with Blaine until Sebastian’s shoulders loosened and his forehead smoothed out.

They also talked about the future. Kurt shared the idea of making a detective TV series based on his thrillers with Sebastian. “You could be Charles. You’d be amazing as Charles.”

“What, I’m not good enough to be the main character?” Sebastian asked jokingly. “Now I’m insulted!”

“Don’t be,” Kurt laughed. “Charles is far more fascinating than Devon, sweet as he is. And I really, really want Blaine to play Devon. No-one else will do.”

Blaine looked up from his sketch book, startled. “Me? I’m not an actor, love! And how can I combine that with my job as a teacher?”

“Of course you’re an actor!” Kurt insisted. “Anyone who can tell stories the way you do can act! As to the practicalities, I was thinking of producing the show myself, and I’d do it in Ohio. I’d ask Artie to direct it, and to rustle up as many professionals from the film-making world as we need. And we’d do it at our own pace. Film it during the summer months, when there is no school.”

“You’re crazy,” Sebastian and Blaine said in unison, and then laughed.

“Where would you get the money to make the pilot?” Sebastian asked.

“I’d ask my fans to crowd-fund it if they like the idea,” Kurt answered simply.

“So you’ll come out of hiding?” Sebastian continued.

“I’m planning to, yes,” Kurt confirmed. “Just before the release of my next book, and preferably with you and Blaine by my side.”

“He IS crazy,” Sebastian whispered to Blaine, who whispered back “I know.”

“I’m right here, guys,” Kurt reminded them.

“No, but, seriously, Kurt …” Blaine began, but Kurt cut him off. “I thought you were thrilled at the thought of my books becoming a TV series?”

“I am, it’s just …” Blaine tried again, and once more Kurt didn’t let him finish. “You don’t believe I could pull it off? You don’t trust my vision?”

“I do, I do …” Blaine assured him.

“Then what?” Kurt demanded.

“Casting me in the main role isn’t a good idea,” Blaine insisted. “Choose a real actor. Adam’s an actor, isn’t he? And what about Elliot, hasn’t he guest-starred on several TV shows?”

Kurt dismissed Adam outright, but agreed that Elliot might not be a bad choice for the part, though it would require making changes to the character. Not to mention that Elliot was more of a musician than an actor and might not be interested in playing the main character in a TV series.

“But you’ll ask him?” Blaine pleaded.

“I will”, Kurt promised.


	93. You're Crazy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much new information in this chapter, so feel free to skip it :-) I'm still in two minds about who should play Devon in the TV series ... Help me decide, won't you?

# Chapter 93: You’re Crazy

“ _He said little, but she knew he was grateful, for she suited him better than anyone else._ ” (Louisa May Alcott, _Eight Cousins_ )

When Blaine woke up the next morning, his head throbbed painfully, and he cursed himself for drinking alcohol the night before. Apparently, he was such a light-weight that even a single drink could leave him hung-over. Maybe he should have stuck to beer, but when he went to the bar to order a drink for Kurt and himself, he’d seen the bar tender prepare a drink that had a really pretty red colour, and before he could think it through, he’d blurted out: “Can I have one of those, please?”

The bar tender had shrugged and made an identical drink for Blaine. When the glass was pushed in his direction, Blaine had asked: “What’s it called?”

The bar tender had smirked. “Red Death. It tastes great, but it has a mean kick.”

_Too right … Never drinking that again …_

The rest of the evening was a bit hazy in Blaine’s memory. Kurt had talked and laughed with his friends, occasionally kissing Blaine on the cheek or groping his thigh or trailing his fingers along Blaine’s arm with a feather-light touch. And then they’d gone back to Sebastian’s place, the cold air sobering Blaine up a little, though not enough. Definitely not enough.

Blaine groaned, remembering that he had said all sorts of embarrassing things, until Sebastian had had a laughing fit right there on the street.

_Why am I always such a blurter? I hope Kurt isn’t angry with me now._

And then Blaine smiled, remembering he’d asked Sebastian to be friends with him, as if they were both in kindergarten and needed a playmate. And Sebastian, the adorable goof, had played along and solemnly promised to be friends with Blaine. There hadn’t even been a glimmer of amusement in his eyes when he made his pledge. He’d clearly meant it.

_So I guess we really are friends now. I’m glad._

Blaine blearily looked around for Kurt, and heard voices in the living room, so he went to join the others.

Kurt and Sebastian were discussing their plans for the day, both of them far too cheery and awake and loud. Blaine winced and headed to the kitchen for some coffee.

“Good morning, sweetie,” Kurt sing-songed. “I thought I’d better let you sleep in, you needed it. I’ll make you a greasy fry-up breakfast. That will make you feel better.”

Blaine gave his boyfriend a weak smile and reached for the coffee pot.

“Oh,no, no, no!” Kurt exclaimed. “Drink a glass of water and take some ibuprofen first, before you drink coffee.”

“Right,” Blaine croaked, and he did as he was told.

The fry-up did help. It made the slight nausea Blaine had felt disappear, and it gave him new energy.

“So, what do you want to see while you’re here in New York?” Sebastian asked Blaine, and Blaine beamed.

Sebastian turned out to be an enthusiastic, though unorthodox tour guide, and even Kurt was impressed at how much Sebastian seemed to know about the Big Apple, and discovered plenty of places he hadn’t been to before.

Sebastian took them to the High Line, a former railway line that had been turned into a green walking trail. They also went on a tour to see the brightest and most spectacular graffiti in NYC, visited lesser known museums and beauty spots and ate at small hole-in-the-wall restaurants that offered mouth-watering dishes.

Blaine soaked it all in, his smile and his camera working overtime.

The three of them were growing closer every day, and Blaine was surprised at how easy and natural their friendship felt. Sebastian was a far cry from the conceited and obnoxious star Blaine had seen in action at the book fair. The real Sebastian proved a history nerd, an avid science fiction reader and superhero fan, and an unending source of stories and anecdotes and all kinds of jokes, ranging from truly terrible to simply side-splitting. And once Blaine had noticed how gorgeous Sebastian’s smile was, he did all he could to coax it out of Sebastian as often as possible.

They didn’t go out again, but stayed at Sebastian’s apartment in the evenings, watching whatever was on TV or playing Mario Kart or just vegging out on the sofa in a tangle of tired legs after a whole day of walking and talking about whatever came to mind.

Those conversations could be intense, sometimes, with both Kurt and Sebastian growing tearful, and Blaine offering silent support rubbing soothing circles on their backs.

It seemed to do the both of them a world of good, though, talking it all out. It left them serene and at peace. Sebastian told Kurt and Blaine that he was having fewer nightmares with them around, and he seemed a lot happier during the day, too.

Kurt ordered Sebastian to seek help, so he did, going to an AA meeting one afternoon, and to a psychologist the next. Each time, he came back looking upset and wrung out, and Kurt and Blaine did their best to cheer him up as best they could.

And then, one evening, they discussed Kurt’s newest book and Kurt’s idea of turning his books into a TV series, now that he had a detective that would stick around in many more books to come. Kurt wanted Sebastian to play Charles, and Blaine nodded in agreement.

_Yes, I can see it … Sebastian will be spectacular as Charles …_

But then Kurt went on to say that he wanted Blaine to play Devon.

_What? You’re joking, right? You must be joking … I’m not an actor!_

Kurt, however, wasn’t so easily deterred, and explained his plans in detail.

“You’re crazy,” Blaine and Sebastian huffed, at the exact same moment, and then looked at each other, startled, before letting out a short burst of laughter.

_Huh … Great minds think alike …_

Sebastian brought up all the practical issues, but none of his questions seemed to stump Kurt. Obviously, Kurt had given the matter a great deal of thought. And he was planning on announcing to the world that he was Mark Easterbrook before the next book came out.

_Wow. Not that I mind your being open and honest, but are you ready for this? Ready to be back in the spotlight? Where is this coming from, all of a sudden?_

Sebastian seemed just as taken aback and baffled as Blaine now felt, and conspiratorially whispered to Blaine: “He IS crazy.”

“I know,” breathed Blaine, his mind still reeling.

Kurt looked offended at their less than enthusiastic reaction to his plans, and started firing off accusatory questions at Blaine, without giving him the time to formulate an answer.

As soon as Blaine saw his chance, though, he explained that he’d feel better if Kurt chose a real actor for the role of Devon, and he suggested Adam or Elliot.

Kurt wrinkled his nose in disdain when Blaine mentioned Adam. “He’s completely wrong for the part. No. Forget about Adam, nothing about him says Devon to me.”

Kurt reluctantly agreed that Elliot was a better fit, though he mentioned that if Elliot was chosen, Kurt would have to rewrite the character. “And anyway, he has his concerts and his second album in the works. He might not even be interested in this role.”

Blaine made Kurt promise to ask Elliot, though, so Kurt called Elliot, and after checking if Sebastian was okay with it, he invited his friend over.

Elliot came, curiosity burning in his eyes at being summoned at ten o’clock in the evening “to talk”. He gasped wordlessly when Kurt revealed that he was Mark Easterbrook, and only when Kurt was halfway through his explanation about the TV series did Elliot find his voice back to blurt out: “I’ve read your books. They’re amazing! I can’t believe it’s you who wrote them!”

Kurt, who had frowned at being interrupted, blushed and smiled shyly. “Thank you. So … What I wanted to ask you is … Would you agree to playing the main character in the TV series?”


	94. Take A Sad Song And Make It Better

# Chapter 94: Take A Sad Song And Make It Better

“ _And see, here you are, one of the nicest gals I ever met. It’s real interesting to have a soul as a friend, and it makes me feel super special that I’ve managed it._ ” (Stephenie Meyer, _The Host_ )

Elliot seemed just as blindsided as Blaine had been when Kurt brought it up, and sputtered: “Wh… What?”

Kurt huffed impatiently. “Would you or would you not be interested in playing Devon in the TV series, opposite Sebastian?”

Elliot continued to gape at him for a moment, while Kurt grew more and more fidgety, and finally snapped: “Well?”

Elliot closed his mouth with a snap and stammered: “Well … I don’t know …”

Kurt’s eyes flashed, and he went off into a rant. “Seriously, what is it with you people? You say you like my books, but when I ask you to support me and help me bring them to the television screen, you hem and haw and back away!”

Blaine was taken aback by Kurt’s anger. “Kurt, love … I am supportive, I assure you … I just … I want this TV series to be the best it possibly can. So I’m of the opinion that you should cast a seasoned actor for the role of Devon. But I’ll help you in any other way I can, I promise!”

Sebastian added: “Hey … I’m on board. I’ll play any role you want me to, whether it’s Devon or Charles. You can count on me.”

Elliot looked at Kurt, indecision and doubt plain on his face. “Kurt, you know I believe in you and in your vision! I’m just … I know I’ve guest-starred on TV shows, but I’m not an actor. Not really. It’s fun for just an episode or two, but I’m not that good at acting, and it’s not where my heart truly lies. I’m with Blaine on this. For the main character, you need someone who’ll kick ass. Why don’t you play Devon yourself?”

Kurt listened to all three of them and seemed appeased and rather ashamed of his outburst. “No, Elliot. If I’d play one of the roles myself, it would be Charles, not Devon. But I don’t want to play Charles myself. I see Sebastian in that role, and he’s going to be stellar in it. But if I were to play opposite him, the TV series would have a totally different vibe than the book series. Seb and I have chemistry, that’s true, but it’s not the mellow love-at-first-sight kind of chemistry. It’s a chemistry born of antagonism and trying to one-up the other. We’d be amazing as bickering colleagues who kind of have a thing for one another but refuse to admit it.”

Sebastian snorted at that, and Blaine chuckled and stated: “You should totally write that in.”

Kurt flashed him a brilliant smile and coaxed him: “Well, I will if you decide you want to play Devon.”

Elliot laughed. “So I’m off the hook now?”

Kurt pouted. “You’re mean to say no to me, both of you.”

Blaine, Sebastian and Elliot laughed at Kurt’s petulant toddler expression, and both Blaine and Elliot promised to think it over and let Kurt know before New Year’s.

Then Elliot asked Sebastian if he’d play one of his original songs for them. “I think my label would be thrilled to have you on board and would let you do your own songs, you know. I just want to get the feel of them, so that I know what I’m talking about when I suggest adding you as an artist.”

Sebastian nodded and went to fetch his guitar. He played two songs for them. They sounded pretty good, but he definitely hadn’t been joking when he’d said the lyrics were depressing.

One of them was about a bad break-up and the guilt Sebastian felt because it was his fault.

 _This is probably about Kurt_. _Huh, it’s sad how they both really messed each other up. I hope I’ll never hurt Kurt that badly. Or vice versa._

The other was about not being accepted for who he was.

_His parents left deep scars as well. I can relate. My father’s still expecting me to come to my senses and marry a woman. It would be amusing if it weren’t so heart-breaking._

“Hmm, not bad,” mused Elliot. “In that second song, something’s missing, though.”

“You need a bridge,” Blaine interjected. “Can I borrow your guitar for a sec? Thanks!”

Blaine played the melody for the verses as well as he could remember it. “That’s how it goes, isn’t it?”

Sebastian hummed in assent.

“Well, what if you add this as a bridge, halfway the song?” Blaine asked, plucking out a series of chords. “You don’t have to add new lyrics if you don’t want to, you can just repeat part of the second verse.”

“Or you could do what John Lennon did for “We Can Work It Out” and make the bridge more uplifting than the rest of the song,” Elliot supplied. “Sort of … An ‘It gets better’ message?”

Blaine played the bridge a few times, so that Sebastian could get the hang of it. Then Sebastian took over the guitar and started thinking of lyrics that would fit, hesitantly singing them and changing them around until he was satisfied.

“Can we run through the whole song now?” Sebastian asked.

The other two nodded, and sang along for the bridge and the refrain, creating a harmony that really took the song to the next level.

Kurt applauded. “That sounded wonderful! The three of you sound great together!”

“Thanks, man,” said Sebastian to Blaine, clapping him on the back. “That bridge makes the song so much better.”

Then he turned to Elliot. “Thanks for the lyrics suggestion. You were right about the song needing an element of hope.”

“No problem, man,” Elliot shrugged. “Glad I got to hear some of your songs. If you ever want to jam, just say the word. Here, give me your number.”

Elliot thrust his phone into Sebastian’s hands. Sebastian looked at it dumbly for a second, and then a slow smile unfurled across his face, and he quickly typed in his digits and handed the phone back.

Elliot shot Sebastian a brilliant smile and tucked his phone safely away again.

“So … Want me to talk to my label about you?” Elliot asked. “Ask them if they’d be interested?”

Sebastian thought it over, and then nodded. “Why not? Thanks!”

Kurt suggested: “Why don’t you sing that song again, the three of you, and I record it with Elliot’s phone? That way, they will be able to appraise your song and your singing.”

That was a clever idea, so they ran through the song again a couple of times, until Kurt was pleased with the video he’d recorded.

After that, they sang a few other songs, trying out different voice combinations and fumbling lyrics and laughing and generally having a good time.

When Blaine next checked his watch, it was two in the morning. “Wow, we need to get into bed”, he blurted out, and they all laughed, but agreed.

Elliot said his goodbyes and wanted to leave, only Sebastian wouldn’t hear of that - “I’m not throwing you out at this hour. I don’t want you to get mugged” - and showed Elliot to the other guest room.

Kurt and Blaine ran through their night-time rituals quickly, Kurt chattering happily and Blaine humming and nodding as required.

_I really want to talk to Kurt about this TV series idea. And about him revealing himself as Mark Easterbrook. Where is that coming from, all of a sudden? He’s making a complete 180, and I’m not sure I like it. It can wait until tomorrow, though. I’m so tired._

Blaine yawned hugely and got into bed, holding his arms open in invitation until Kurt crawled into them. They kissed for a while, until Blaine fell victim to another yawn attack.

“Good night, love.”

“Good night, sweetie,” Kurt whispered. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”


	95. Explanations

# Chapter 95: Explanations

“ _As the seven of them walked down the busy West Broadway sidewalk, Kate had to marvel at how seamlessly Elliot and Brice seemed to join in with her Brooklyn friends. She’d avoided this for years and never introduced Bina and the others to Rita, her friend from graduate school, or Maggie, a choreographer she’d met in her exercise class. Somehow she hadn’t thought a mix like that would work as smoothly, and she suspected it was because Brice and Elliot were observing all this as they participated._ ” (Olivia Goldsmith, _Dumping Billy_ )

Kurt called Elliot, and though Elliot seemed surprised at the sudden summons, he came over straightaway.

Kurt launched into his explanation, and saw Elliot’s eyes widen when he realised that Kurt was Mark Easterbrook.

_Been reading my books, have you? That’s flattering …_

Kurt was just explaining his idea of producing the TV series himself because he did not want to compromise on the quality and the contents of it when Elliot burst out: “I’ve read your books. They’re amazing! I can’t believe it’s you who wrote them!”

That made Kurt lose his train of thought, and he wasn’t entirely happy about it, but as soon as the compliment sunk in, his cheeks flushed and his lips turned up of their own accord.

_I’m glad you like them. That means a lot to me!_

Elliot’s admission made Kurt more confident about asking his friend to play Devon, only Elliot did not react as Kurt had hoped. He appeared completely floored and speechless.

Even when Kurt insisted, he didn’t say yes.

_Why does everybody say no? Have they just been humouring me and do they think making a TV series isn’t a good idea? If that’s the case, why don’t they just say so?_

Kurt lost his temper and lashed out at his friends, but they were quick to defend themselves and left Kurt feeling rather guilty for ranting at them.

Elliot suggested that Kurt play the role of Devon, but Kurt nixed that idea. It made him think of another role he could play in the TV series though, and Blaine clearly liked the character Kurt sketched, and told him to write that in.

In the end, Kurt got both Blaine and Elliot to promise they would think it over and let him know before New Year’s whether or not they’d be willing to play Devon. Blaine gave Kurt a searching look before he promised, a look that intimated they would definitely have another talk about this soon.

Elliot didn’t seem inclined to leave just yet, and asked Sebastian about those songs he’d been talking about during their karaoke night, mentioning his label might be interested in signing Sebastian as an artist. “Would you play us one of your original songs?”

And to Kurt’s surprise, Sebastian fell in with that suggestion immediately, playing not just one, but two of his original songs.

The first one was clearly about Kurt, and the pain and the longing that exuded from Sebastian as he sang it were palpable. It tugged at Kurt’s heart-strings, and he surreptitiously wiped away a tear or two.

The second one was about being different and how hard it was to fit in and to find acceptance. Both Blaine and Elliot seemed to consider the song unfinished, though, and fired off suggestions to add to it.

Together, the three of them worked to complete the song, Blaine providing the music, Elliot the theme and Sebastian the words. The end result sounded great.

_I love how well they work together. They really click. I would never have thought they’d get along so well, but it’s lovely to see._

Sebastian thanked the others profusely, and gave Elliot his number when Elliot requested it, smiling happily.

_Well, well, look at that … Maybe I won’t even have to ask Elliot to keep an eye on Sebastian. He might do it of his own accord, especially if Sebastian were to sign on at Elliot’s label. Can’t we record the song they just finished as a demo?_

Kurt suggested it, and made the three other play and sing the song as many times as were needed to get a qualitative recording.

They didn’t stop singing after that, trying duets in every combination and coaxing Kurt to sing too. They sang until they were hoarse and their cheeks hurt from laughing and smiling so much.

Sebastian convinced Elliot to sleep over instead of going home in the dead of night, and they all went to bed.

K&B

The next morning, he woke up to find Blaine watching him. Not sweetly and lovingly, as was his wont, but penetratingly, as though Kurt was a puzzle Blaine was determined to solve.

“Good morning,” Blaine greeted him.

“Morning,” Kurt yawned.

“Where was all of that coming from, yesterday?” Blaine asked. “I mean, you’ve mentioned the TV series before, but only as a way of making money. You never told me you wanted to produce it yourself. You never told me you expected me to star in it. You never told me you wanted to go public and tell all and sundry that you’re Mark Easterbrook.”

Once Kurt’s sleep-fogged brain caught up with Blaine’s words, his cheeks flushed and he felt the hair on his skin prickle uncomfortably.

“I caught you off guard with this, didn’t I?” Kurt mumbled guiltily. “I’m sorry. I’ve been mulling things over in my head, and yesterday they all came tumbling out without so much as a heads-up.”

“I don’t mind hearing what your plans are,” Blaine assured him. “I just don’t understand how you could suddenly go from a man who closely guards his secret identity as an author and doesn’t even let his boyfriend in on that to a man who is happy to reveal his secret to the whole world and who would call on his fans to get the TV series made. I mean … You’ve never even acknowledged your fans! You’ve never interacted with them, thanked them, asked them for their opinion, signed your books for them or done interviews. You avoided them! You seemed scared to death to be found out! You didn’t want to be recognised! And now you want them to crowd-fund your series? You do realise what that entails, don’t you? They’re going to want autographed books. They’re going to want to meet you. They’re going to want to be an extra in the series. And so on and so forth. Are you sure you’re ready for that?”

Kurt’s blush deepened. “I didn’t really think this through, did I? They’re not getting autographed books, though. I said that you would be the only one ever to get an autographed book, and I stand by that.”

“Kurt …” Blaine’s voice was warm and indulgent, and his eyes were soft. “I wouldn’t hold you to that, love. I wouldn’t mind you making other fans happy by signing their books for them. I was still the first fan ever to get an autograph, so that’s pretty special. That’s enough for me.”

Kurt gave Blaine a tremulous smile and a kiss. “I’m sorry I accused you of not being supportive. You are. You always are. You’re amazing. And I was wrong to spring this idea on you without any prior warning. Can I … Can I just tell you what I had in mind? We can discuss it after …”

Blaine nodded, his expression alert and attentive.

“I’ve been thinking of this TV series since before I mentioned it to you, actually. As soon as I had Devon popping up in my mind and I started writing his story, I could just SEE it unfold on the television screen. And in my vision, it was always you and Sebastian who had the main roles. Even then, when I was still so angry with Sebastian, I knew … I just knew he’d be perfect as Charles. But I pushed it back, because I couldn’t see myself collaborating with someone I disliked so much. And then I got the suicide note, and we came here in a frenzy of fear, and I finally got to say my piece to Sebastian and we cleared the air. And now … I feel like … We’ve reconnected. We’re friends again, and it feels so much better than when Seb and I were children, because we’ve both matured and everything’s out in the open and we know where we stand with each other. I would never have predicted this, but I’m glad to have Sebastian back in my life. And … Well … You opened me up so much, just by being your wonderful self and loving me, but sorting things out with Sebastian … My father was SO right when he advised me to talk to him. To talk things through. It helped. It really did. I understand him so much better now, and I know now that I was far too hasty, all those years ago. I should at least have spoken with Seb before I left. Anyway … That’s all water under the bridge now … My point is: this is a huge weight off my shoulders. All these years, I’ve been so scared of putting myself out there, of putting my heart on the line, because Sebastian’s rejection made me doubt my self-worth. So to find out that Sebastian did care and it was all just a horrible misunderstanding, well … It feels great. Liberating. Like there was this part of me that was locked away and I’ve finally found the key. Like I’m whole again.”

Kurt beamed at Blaine, who smiled back tentatively.

“Before the sweet sixteen debacle, I wasn’t closed-off or secretive. I loved giving interviews, and bantering with Seb before, during and after. So, now that we’re friends again, I thought we could try that again, and contact Ellen to appear on her show. It’s been ten years since I left A Tree Called Life, and five years since the very last episode aired. So Ellen could pass it off as an anniversary interview, for the fans. And Seb and I could reminisce a bit about the series, and then when she asks us what we’re up to now, I’d reveal I’m Mark Easterbrook, sketch the basic plot of my new novel and tell her I’d love to make it into a TV series, starring Seb and my handsome and talented boyfriend Blaine Anderson. Ideally, we would have made a teaser trailer at that point, and Ellen would show that video, and then I would launch into my spiel about crowd-funding the TV series so that it ends up being exactly as I pictured it. And I hope the response would be positive.”

Kurt looked at Blaine, who hadn’t said a word during Kurt’s long monologue and who looked very pensive.

“Blaine?”


	96. I Do But I Don't

# Chapter 96: I Do But I Don’t

" _They were all hungry. The smell of bacon and eggs was very good. They ran down the stairs and said good-morning to their aunt. She was just bringing the breakfast to the table. Their uncle was sitting at the head, reading his paper. He nodded at the children. They sat down without a word, wondering if they were allowed to speak at meals. They always were at home, but their Uncle Quentin looked rather fierce._

 _George was there, buttering a piece of toast. She scowled at the three children._ ” (Enid Blyton, _Five On A Treasure Island_ )

Blaine sat up slowly.

“I see …” he breathed.

A long silence fell, Blaine toying with the hem of his pyjama top, his eyes downcast and his teeth worrying his lower lip.

“Say something,” Kurt pleaded at last.

Blaine looked up, conflict raging in his eyes.

“Kurt, I … If I were still nothing more than a fan, this news would have made me ecstatic. And part of me is over the moon with happiness, believe me. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted. My favourite author being open about who he is, reaching out to his fans, turning his books into a TV series. It’s a dream come true. Part of me just wants to jump up and down and do silly victory dances and tweet and blog until I’ve broken both Twitter and Tumblr with my enthusiasm.”

Kurt snorted at that mental image.

“But?” he prompted gently, when Blaine fell silent again.

“But … There also the other side of the medal, you know. You’re so much more to me now than just my celebrity crush. You’re my boyfriend, the love of my life, and your life is inextricably entwined with mine now, so I can’t help but think of the consequences of revealing you’re Mark Easterbrook. You’re saying that you’ve gained confidence, first because of me and then because of Sebastian, but you’re still a very private person. That’s just who you are. You’ll never be totally comfortable with people walking up to you and gushing about your books and asking for a selfie or an autograph. Sebastian does all of that without even blinking, but I saw you flinch when that girl approached Sebastian at Callbacks. And I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable every time we go out because you’re dreading being recognised. Yes, maybe you’d get more or less used to it, but it would always remain a chore for you.”

Kurt bit his lip and nodded. “That’s true. I still think the TV series would be worth some discomfort, though. There’s something so empowering and invigorating about bringing your vision to life. And I’m not dealing with it on my own. I’ve got you, I’ve got my family and I’ve got my friends. I’ve got a pretty amazing support network. That helps.”

Blaine acknowledged this with a nod of his own. “Still … The fact remains that you want to drag me into the spotlight as well. I can see how you pictured me in the screen adaptation, seeing as you based the character largely on me. But, love, I’m not an actor. Truly, I’m not. Yes, I tell stories to the children I teach and to your niece and nephew, and I did it at the book fair, but acting is a whole different ballgame. When I’m telling stories, I’m playing all the characters at once. There is no-one else to interact with. I’m not even sure I’d be any good at that!”

“You could try,” Kurt suggested. “We could do a test run with Sebastian. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”

“But you don’t have a script yet!” Blaine threw in.

“Oh yes, I do,” Kurt grinned. “I uploaded it to my cloud, so that wouldn’t be a problem.”

“Ugh,” grunted Blaine defeatedly. “Okay, I guess I could try.”

Kurt threw his arms up in the air in celebration. “Yay!”

Blaine let out a short burst of laughter and shook his head. “Who’s the dork now, huh?”

K&B

After their discussion, Kurt and Blaine showered and dressed and went to the kitchen. Sebastian and Elliot were already there, Sebastian wearing only his boxers, as usual. Elliot clearly appreciated the view. He kept stealing glances at Sebastian, whose smugness only increased each time he caught Elliot looking.

“Oh good, the lovebirds have arrived,” Sebastian commented. “Took you long enough. Been trying out every position in the Kama Sutra, have you?”

Blaine didn’t laugh it off, as usual. Instead, he scowled and poured himself a mug of coffee without saying a word.

It was Kurt who quipped: “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Sebastian looked at Blaine, who was moodily sipping his coffee and making no effort to join in the conversation, and quirked an eyebrow at Kurt, who shrugged helplessly in reply.

Sebastian didn’t prod any further, but changed the subject.

“I woke up and there were no pancakes,” Sebastian pouted. “Won’t you make me some, Kurtie?”

“Sebastian Smythe, don’t you ever call me by that name again or there will be no more pancakes for you, ever,” Kurt threatened. “I’m not eight years old anymore!”

Sebastian grinned. “Would you prefer Kurtsie? Kurtiekins? Kurtilicious? Kay? Just say the word.”

Elliot snorted, and Kurt shot Sebastian a withering glare. “Kurt will do just fine, thank you.”

“Ku-urt,” Sebastian whined, “won’t you please make me some pancakes? Pretty please?”

Kurt rolled his eyes, but went to the fridge, got out all the ingredients for blueberry pancakes and set to work.

When the first pancakes were done, he slipped them onto a plate and set it before Blaine, with the maple syrup, and kissed his boyfriend on the cheek. “There you go, sweetheart!”

Blaine murmured a polite thank you, but didn’t lighten up.

_He’s probably mad at me for pushing him into playing Devon. But … I’m sure he’ll do fine, and I’m sure he’ll like it._

The others tucked into their pancakes as if they hadn’t eaten for days, and Elliot moaned in appreciation.

“If this is what you wake up to every morning, you’re a lucky guy, Blaine,” Elliot commented.

Blaine glowered at Elliot, and Kurt hastened to rectify Elliot’s assumption. “Usually, it’s Blaine who makes us breakfast, actually. He’s an early bird, and I’m not.”

“Wow, two kitchen queens in one relationship?” Sebastian asked. “That seems a little unfair to the rest of us …”

That comment only intensified Blaine’s thundercloud impersonation, and Kurt wasn’t too happy about it either. “You could always teach yourself some recipes, Seb. I’m sure after some practice you’ll do fine. Want me to show you how to make pancakes? Or you could help with dinner tonight?”

Sebastian thought it over, and then agreed that it couldn’t hurt.

“So what are our plans for today?” Sebastian inquired, rubbing his hands together in a show of enthusiasm.

“Well, seeing as we have our two candidates for Devon right here, I thought we could run some lines, to see how well the role fits, and if you have chemistry with Sebastian,” Kurt announced.

Elliot quirked an eyebrow but raised no objections.

Blaine grumbled something under his breath and refused to make eye-contact.

Accordingly, as soon as Sebastian was dressed and Kurt had made print-outs of the script he’d written, they set to work.

Elliot went first, and Kurt was pleased with his interpretation of the role. Elliot made Devon more outgoing and direct, but it worked, and his chemistry with Sebastian was off the charts, so much so that Kurt had to warn them to tone it down a little. “You’re supposed to be more subtle about it, okay? I don’t want to see your one-night stand kind of flirting. This is supposed to be love at first sight. Two soul-mates meeting. I want shy and coy flirting from Charles, and wide-eyed wonder and delight from Devon.”

“Yes, captain, my captain,” Sebastian saluted, and Elliot laughed.

And Sebastian truly did transform into Charles then, mesmerising but elusive, interested but hesitant, his every look and move so compelling that not just Elliot, but also Kurt and Blaine were drawn to him. Elliot seemed a bit thrown off by the change at first, but then caught on and modified his reactions accordingly.

_Yes, yes … I’m sure this combo would work … I’d still prefer Blaine, though._

After a coffee break, it was Blaine’s turn, but something still seemed off. Blaine went through the motions mechanically, and was word-perfect in saying his lines, but there was no emotional investment there. He did the scene like a well-programmed robot.

Kurt, who was getting more and more frustrated, finally dragged Blaine away from the others to the privacy of their bedroom, where he exploded. “I thought you said you would try? This is not trying, in my book. If you didn’t want to do it at all, you only had to say so and I would have respected it! But no, you said you’d do it, only to drive me up the wall by deliberately acting horrendously badly so that I would pick Elliot over you. Aaaaaaargh!!!”

Kurt threw his hands up in frustration and angrily paced around the bedroom. “If you don’t want to play Devon, just tell me so. Right now. Spit it out. If, however, you agree to give this an honest try, stop with the pouting, stop with the scowling, stop with the disgruntled diva attitude and all your passive-aggressive ways of getting back at me, all right? I’m sick of it! If I ask you to do something and you don’t want to, JUST SAY NO!”

Blaine, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, nodded jerkily.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kurt snapped at him. “Yes, next time I’ll work up the courage to say no straightaway? Or yes, I’m going to give it a real try now, and see how it goes?”

“Both, I guess …” Blaine whispered. “I was mad at you for forcing me into this. But you’re right. Either I should have said no immediately, or I should actually throw myself into this wholeheartedly and see whether or not it works. You believe I can do it, and I trust your judgment, so I’ll go back to the living room and really act out the scene. And then it’s up to you to decide which of us is the better Devon.”

“Blaine …” Kurt trailed off. “Are you sure?”

Kurt looked at Blaine searchingly, trying to detect any uncertainty or unhappiness or discomfort in his expression, but there was none. Blaine looked determined.

Blaine jutted his chin out. “Yes. Yes, I’m sure. Let’s do this!”


	97. Feeling Blue

# Chapter 97: Feeling Blue

" _When you think things are bad, when you feel sour and blue, when you start to get mad... you should do what I do... Just tell yourself, Duckie, you're really quite lucky! Some people are much more... oh, ever so much more... oh muchly much-much more unlucky than you!_ " (Dr. Seuss, _Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?_ )

Though they had gone to bed in the early morning hours, Blaine woke up at 6.30 AM, as always. He debated trying to get back to sleep, but decided against it when he realised his head was whirling with so many thoughts and questions that he’d never manage to nod off again anyway. Instead, he watched Kurt sleep peacefully and thought about what he was going to say to Kurt when he woke up. They really needed to discuss this, and sooner rather than later.

_I don’t want to sound too accusatory, but I don’t understand how Kurt can change so drastically, all of a sudden. It makes me feel on edge and out of my depth._

Kurt made a cute snuffling sound and smiled in his sleep, and for a moment, Blaine’s worries and cogitations all flew out of the window as he drank in the lovely sight.

They came back with a vengeance, though, when Blaine remembered how angelic Kurt had looked the morning Blaine had found out about Kurt’s author alter ego.

_Kurt didn’t even tell me, and now he would tell the whole world? What brought this on? He’ll regret it. If he goes public, I’m sure he’ll regret it. He’s not at all like my brother. Cooper LOVES fame. He just laps it up and thrives on it. Kurt will shrink away and shudder. And I don’t see why it’s necessary for him to reveal this, even if he wants to make the TV series. By now, all his readers are used to the mystery that is Mark Easterbrook, and it might even be counterproductive for Kurt to tell them he’s the writer of their favourite books. He could still do the crowd-funding if he wanted to, but pose as a fan of Mark Easterbrook. If Kurt and Sebastian were to team up for this venture, I’m sure they’d find enough interested fans to crowd-fund the series. Sebastian is quite famous, and I don’t think the public will have forgotten about Kurt. Kurt could tell them that he played Argyle in “Breathless”, and that it is his dream to see the Easterbrook novels turned into a TV series. They’ll like that. Nothing’s more irresistible than a celebrity who professes himself a fanboy._

Blaine managed to work out a few alternative scenarios for Kurt to consider before his train of thought was interrupted by Kurt starting to toss and turn in bed, a sign that Kurt was waking up.

A few minutes later, Kurt’s eyes fluttered open, and when he noticed Blaine watching him, Kurt smiled sleepily.

That was all the encouragement Blaine needed to share his thoughts with Kurt, so he got everything off his chest.

Kurt blinked at Blaine. His mind seemed to work rather sluggishly, and he took his own sweet time to process what Blaine had said and to formulate an answer. When it came, though, it sounded apologetic. Kurt acknowledged that he should have talked this over with Blaine before announcing it, and that he should never have questioned Blaine’s support.

Then Kurt started telling Blaine exactly what he’d had in mind for the TV series, stressing that he’d always pictured Sebastian and Blaine in the main roles. Kurt then went off on a tangent about reconnecting with Sebastian and how liberating it felt and how it felt like now he was whole again.

That was a punch in the gut for Blaine.

_Seriously? Sebastian makes you feel whole? And I didn’t?_

Kurt didn’t notice how his words had hurt Blaine. He smiled at Blaine so sunnily that Blaine returned the smile automatically, though his stomach churned.

Kurt then went on to tell Blaine how he used to like giving interviews, and how he wanted to appear on Ellen’s talk show now with Sebastian, and announce the idea for the TV series there.

_Sebastian again. Nothing but Sebastian, Sebastian, Sebastian. Is it always going to be like that from now on? Me coming second to Kurt’s first love? Well, if Kurt wants me to, I will let him go, but it’s going to hurt so much. I thought what we had was special. I thought our love would last. I saw us growing old together. Ah well … I should be used to it by now. I’ve always been second choice._

Engrossed in his thoughts as he was, Blaine hadn’t realised that Kurt had fallen silent. It wasn’t until Kurt hesitantly asked “Blaine?” that Blaine snapped out of it and slowly sat up.

“I see …” he whispered non-committally, stalling for time, while he scrambled frantically for a reaction to Kurt’s revelations that was neither bitter nor weepy, but staunchly supportive.

_You can do this, Blaine! After all, you’re a huge Mark Easterbrook fan. Start by telling Kurt how much you will love watching a TV series based on the Easterbrook novels. Then tell him about your legitimate concerns, and don’t forget to stress the fact that you’re not an actor and have no intention of becoming one._

Kurt fidgeted next to him, his patience running out, and finally begged Blaine for a reaction.

So Blaine looked Kurt straight in the eye and said his piece. Kurt shrugged off Blaine’s concerns easily, and once again coaxed him to give the acting a try.

_Say no! You don’t want to do this, so say no!_

But Blaine didn’t dare say no outright, and tried to evade the issue by pointing out that Kurt didn’t have a script yet.

Kurt, triumph in his eyes, announced that he most certainly did, so with bad grace, Blaine gave in.

_The things I do for you … And you don’t even care …_

K&B

Unfortunately, his mood only went downhill from there. They had breakfast with Sebastian and Elliot in the kitchen, and where Blaine had gotten on quite well with both of Kurt’s friends before, now everything they said or did grated on him, and he sank into a sulky silence.

Kurt tried to cheer him up with blueberry pancakes, just the way Blaine liked them, but that didn’t help much.

After breakfast, Kurt announced that his “two candidates for Devon” were going to take turns playing opposite Sebastian. That made Blaine grumble to himself: “Candidates, huh? I never signed up for this.”

Blaine enjoyed watching Elliot and Sebastian play, though. They were flirting so heavily that they made the scene quite entertaining. Kurt had to tell them off for laying it on too thick.

When they ran through the scene a second time, it was obvious that Sebastian had gotten the memo, and his flawless interpretation of the role left the three others speechless in awe and admiration. Elliot’s performance, though excellent, couldn’t hold a candle to Sebastian’s, who drew everyone’s eye.

All too soon, it was Blaine’s turn, and though he’d memorised the lines and knew what he had to do, he felt himself holding back.

_It’s so weird to have to pretend to be in love with Sebastian … I like him well enough, and he’s attractive, but … It just feels so weird. No, I really don’t want to do this, no matter how well I resemble the character of Devon._

Kurt got fidgety again, and after a few unsuccessful tries, he took Blaine by the arm and pulled him along to their bedroom. As soon as Kurt had closed the door, he started yelling at Blaine, accusing him of performing poorly on purpose, and telling him to either flat-out refuse to play Devon or to really give it a try.

Blaine was considerably rattled by Kurt’s vehement outburst, and could only nod weakly in response.

That made Kurt lash out again, his eyes flashing, and before Blaine knew it, he was giving in again, and promising to try again and give it his all this time.

Kurt seemed surprised. Clearly, he’d been expecting Blaine to answer that he didn’t want to play Devon at all. Softly, he asked if Blaine was sure.

_Yes, I know, I’m a pathetic push-over. I’d do anything to keep you happy. Even get my flirt on with your former crush. I can do this. Let’s see if I can make this so convincing that I make you jealous. Will you still want me to play Devon then?_


	98. New Facets

# Chapter 98: New Facets

“ _His eyes fell instead on the girl next to Krum. His jaw dropped._

 _It was Hermione._ ” (J. K. Rowling, _Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire_ )

Kurt and Blaine went back to the living room together. Thankfully, both Sebastian and Elliot spared them their comments. Blaine figured they’d probably heard every word of Kurt’s side of the argument, since Kurt had been yelling so loudly, but they didn’t let on anything was wrong.

Kurt announced that they would give it one or two more tries with Blaine, and Sebastian nodded, got back into character and said the first lines.

_Okay, Anderson, you can do this. Charles is basically the book version of Kurt, and the way Sebastian plays him reminds you of Kurt. So just think of how you felt the first time you saw Kurt, and try to channel those emotions._

And it worked. It was as if he’d switched on a light in his head, and suddenly, it all clicked. Sebastian was Charles and he was Devon, and he was mesmerised and more than a little hooked. Now, the lines he had to say came out feeling natural, and of course he gravitated towards Charles as though pulled there by a strong magnet, and of course he smiled goofily and widely and gazed at Charles like a blind man seeing the sun for the very first time.

When they had played the whole scene, Elliot whooped and yelled: “You did it, B! That was brilliant!”

Sebastian clapped him on the back, looking pleased. “Well done, man!”

Blaine acknowledged their praise with a nod and a half-smile and turned to Kurt. “Was that more what you had in mind?”

Kurt looked as though he’d just been clubbed over the head, but he rallied quickly and answered: “Yes. Yes, that was perfect.”

_Perfect, was it? Are you sure? You don’t seem very happy about my acting this time around, either._

“Do you want us to run through it again?” Blaine inquired.

Kurt thought it over and then shook his head. “No. No, that’s all right, I saw what I wanted to see.”

_Huh … If you say so … Well, I for one am glad that the acting part of the day is over. It’s draining, and I prefer being lovey-dovey for real with Kurt to faking it with Sebastian._

“Are we going out for lunch or staying in?” Sebastian asked.

“Going out,” Kurt decided. “I’ve a hankering after Thai food.”

“Thai Market?” Elliot suggested.

Kurt beamed. “Thai Market! Let’s go!”

K&B

At the restaurant, Elliot and Kurt told stories about the band they were in during their college years. Apparently, in those days, they had a friendly rivalry going where they always tried to one-up each other. In one of the venues they had a gig, there was a burlesque pole, and Elliot dared Kurt to do some pole dancing, which he did, and then Elliot tried it as well.

“I was way better at it, though,” Kurt insisted.

“You were,” Elliot conceded good-naturedly. “You’re a natural.”

“Pics or it didn’t happen!” Sebastian demanded, and Elliot scrolled through his phone and showed him and Blaine pictures of Kurt pole dancing, and Blaine’s brain pretty much short-circuited.

_Wow, that’s hot!_

And then Elliot scrolled to the next picture, and Blaine almost swallowed his tongue when he saw it. The black-and-white photograph showed Kurt and Elliot in black leather outfits and eyeliner. Elliot had his arm slung around Kurt’s shoulder, and Kurt was playing air guitar and pouting seductively at the camera.

“Blaine was right,” Sebastian commented. “You do look hot wearing eyeliner, Kurt. It suits you. You should wear it more often.”

“True,” Elliot agreed. “Though I rock the eyeliner look even better.”

Kurt huffed, and Blaine and Sebastian laughed.

“You’re certainly full of surprises,” Blaine said to Kurt, who grinned impishly. “Liked the pictures, did you? Wait ‘till you see the video of me doing the Single Ladies dance. My dad was so shocked to see me dance like that, and I was scared to tell him I was gay, so I blurted out that it was my warm-up for football training. Only then I had to join the school’s football team, of course. Finn got me a try-out as kicker, and I got in, and won them their first ever game that season. The trainer told me I was the best kicker they’d ever had. I dropped out after that game though. I had screwed up all my courage and told my dad I was gay. And my dad told me he’d always known, and loved me just the same, so there was no need to keep up the pretence. Never cared much for football, anyway.”

This time, it wasn’t just Blaine’s jaw that dropped.

“You played football?” Elliot gasped. “Like, for real?”

Kurt giggled. “Yes, for real. As I said, I hadn’t come out to my dad at the time, and I wanted to come across as straight. That wasn’t the only time I tried to pass as straight, though. There was this period where I was so insanely jealous of Finn because my father just seemed to connect much better with him than with me and I felt replaced. And I had this crazy idea that if I pretended to be straight, my dad would go back to liking me better than Finn. So I dressed in flannel and baseball caps, like my dad, and I talked in my lower register the whole day long, and I had a girlfriend as well.”

Blaine couldn’t believe his ears. “Come again?”

Kurt burst out laughing when he saw Blaine’s disbelieving expression. “Yes, I dated Brittany for two weeks. You know, Santana’s wife? It was easy, really. I didn’t even have to ask her, she asked me. She wanted to cross me off her list so she would have a perfect record of having made out with all the boys at school. And then I made sure my dad would catch us making out.”

“You made out with a girl?” Blaine asked. “Wow, okay. So then, what happened? What did Burt say?”

“Dad wasn’t fooled,” Kurt sighed. “Het was sweet about it, though. He said it was my job to be myself and his job to love me no matter what.”

That made Blaine tear up. “Your dad’s amazing. And for the record, there’s no-one on earth he loves more than you. I’m pretty sure of that. You’re his son, and he thinks the world of you.”

Kurt took Blaine’s hand and squeezed it. “Thank you, sweetie.”

“I bet you looked really good in your football jersey,” Blaine mused, picturing the fabric stretching over Kurt’s broad shoulders. _Yum._

Kurt giggled again.

Then Sebastian cried out in victory. “Yes! I think I found it!”

“Found what?” Elliot asked.

“The Single Ladies video,” Sebastian clarified. “Wow, Kurt, you look sexy!”

“Show us, show us,” Elliot demanded, and both Blaine and Elliot moved to stand behind Sebastian so that they could see the video, too. It showed a much younger Kurt, flanked by two girls, channelling his inner Beyoncé.

_Wait, is that … Tina? It is! It’s Tina! I thought Mike was the dancer in that household, but it seems like Tina can hold her own … And Kurt really knows how to move his hips, not that I’m surprised._

“You look so young there,” Blaine remarked. “How old were you?”

“Sixteen,” Kurt answered.

“Can you still do the dance?” Sebastian wanted to know.

“Of course,” Kurt grinned. “Want me to teach you?”

Sebastian smirked. “I’m always up for a challenge.”

That made Kurt snort and Blaine and Elliot dissolve into laughter.

“Be sure to video-tape that lesson for me,” Elliot told Kurt between guffaws, and Kurt winked at him in reply.


	99. I Wanna Be A Rockstar

# Chapter 99: I Wanna Be A Rockstar

“ _Time lapsed as they walked down the centre aisle: three teenage girls all in a row. […]_

_Lena, Tibby and Bee were here, in this theatre, and they had come for her. Her big night was their big night. Her joy was their joy; her pain their pain. It was so simple._

_They were absolutely lovely, and in their presence, so was she._ ” (Ann Brashares, _Summers of the Sisterhood: Forever in Blue_ )

Kurt was rather surprised that Blaine was willing to try again, and rather sceptical as to whether Blaine would do better this time. However, when Sebastian and Blaine went through the scene this time, Blaine transformed into Devon effortlessly, and played his part of smitten swain to perfection. So much so that it was hard for Kurt to watch. Seeing those adoring smiles and heart-eyes of Blaine directed at someone else, even if it was just for show, felt absolutely horrible.

_I don’t think I could stomach that day after day, if I were to choose Blaine as Devon. I’d go mental and end up tearing Sebastian limb from limb for flirting with Blaine, though he’d only be doing his job, poor guy. Blaine is perfect as Devon, though. I knew he would be. But it hurts so much to see him under Sebastian’s spell. That should be me with him, not Sebastian. Ugh … Why am I so jealous right now? They’re both playing fictional characters! It’s not real! Get a grip, Hummel!_

After the scene, both Elliot and Sebastian congratulated Blaine on doing a good job. Blaine turned to Kurt for the final appraisal, though, and Kurt, who was still feeling miserable, had to hide his feelings behind his poker face and admit that Blaine’s performance had been absolutely perfect. Exactly what he’d been looking for.

Apparently, Kurt’s praise hadn’t sounded too convincing. Blaine’s face fell, and he anxiously inquired if Kurt wanted them to do the scene over.

Kurt repressed a shudder with difficulty. _Oh no, you won’t. I don’t want to go through this again!_

So Kurt was quick to say no. Maybe a bit too quick. Blaine frowned at him in concern, and seemed about to ask him what was wrong.

_Nothing’s wrong. I’m just being silly and oversensitive and having trouble separating fiction from reality. I don’t really want to tell you, though, you’d think I was insane._

Sebastian came to the rescue then by asking what they wanted for lunch. Kurt answered that he wanted Thai food, and five minutes later, they were on their way to the restaurant.

Blaine seemed to have forgotten all about Kurt’s weird reaction, thankfully, and was happily discussing music with Elliot and Sebastian.

Kurt trailed after them, lost in thought. Now that he’d seen both Elliot’s and Blaine’s acting chops, there was no doubt as to who fit the role better, but if Elliot was willing, that’s who Kurt would pick.

_Elliot’s Devon is slightly different from my book character, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s an adaptation. I can change things around a bit. And Elliot and Seb have crazy chemistry, both in real life and when they’re acting. That’s important too. Yes, I’ll ask Elliot._

K&B

On their way to the restaurant, Elliot had brought up the band Kurt had started up in college, and during dinner, they took turns telling the others about their craziest gigs and band members and all the silly stuff they’d done together.

Blaine’s mouth fell open when he heard that Kurt and Elliot had tried pole dancing during a gig in a music shop, and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head when he saw the pictures Elliot showed them on his phone. Kurt grinned smugly, and his grin only widened when Blaine saw Kurt and Elliot’s “rock star” pic and pretty much started hyperventilating.

_Leather and eyeliner are your kryptonite then? Duly noted._

Sebastian appreciated the photograph as well, mentioning that Kurt looked hot and should wear eyeliner more often.

Going by the heated glance Blaine shot Kurt at that comment, Blaine seemed to agree wholeheartedly.

_Well, I’ll see what I can do … And in the meantime, I’ll do my best to drive you even crazier, shall I?_

So Kurt started reminiscing about his high school days. Blaine already knew - and loved - that Kurt had been a cheerleader, so now Kurt told him and his friends about his “straight” phases.

To say that Blaine was surprised would be an understatement. He stared at Kurt as though he’d never seen him before, and when Kurt mentioned his girlfriend, Blaine seemed sure he’d misunderstood, and looked shocked when Kurt told them he’d made out with Brittany in front of Burt.

Then Sebastian found the video of Kurt dancing to Single Ladies, and they all watched it. Somehow, that led to Kurt promising Sebastian to teach him the dance, and that prospect made Blaine and Elliot roar with laughter.

After that, the conversation went back to music, and more in particular Elliot’s new album. Elliot asked them to do the back-up singing for a few of his songs, so after dinner, they set out for the recording studio.

There, Elliot introduced them all to his manager Stephanie and to his producer Tom, and enthused about his friends’ musical talent.

_I see what you’re doing there, El … Trying to ease Seb onto the label, are you?_

And it seemed like that was exactly Elliot’s intent, because when they got to the recording booth, Elliot casually suggested they warm up with Sebastian’s song, since they’d been practising it the day before.

By the time they repeated the refrain, the recording engineer was tapping his fingers to the beat and humming along. Stephanie was shrewdly sizing up Kurt, Blaine and Sebastian and nodding approvingly, and Tom seemed impressed as well.

After their warm-up, Elliot quickly ran through the songs he wanted them to sing back-up on, and then their work began in earnest.

Stephanie didn’t hang around the whole time. She told Elliot she had another artist to see to, and phone calls to make, but asked him to come by her office before he left the studio.

Accordingly, when the songs had been recorded, Elliot excused himself to go see what Stephanie wanted. He was back before anyone had expected him to, and told them to come along because Stephanie wanted to speak to them too.

Stephanie didn’t beat around the bush. “You’re good singers, all of you, and I’m sure Elliot brought you here with a purpose. So what is it? Spit it out, Elliot. You want to hire one or all of them as background singers for your concert tour?”

Elliot shook his head. “No. I’m happy with the back-up singers I have. I brought my friends here because I wanted you to meet Sebastian here.”

Elliot clapped Sebastian on the back, and Sebastian gave Stephanie his trademark confident smirk.

“He’s a pop star in his own right, and is looking for a new label that would let him sing his own songs. So I thought you could sound Mr Lee out about maybe adding a fresh new face to his label? And maybe, if he were up for that, he could be my supporting act during my concert tour, since Soraya is heavily pregnant and The Stellar Rainbows split two months ago?”

Okay, Kurt had not been expecting that, and by the looks of it, neither had Sebastian. Seb rallied quickly, though, nodding and grinning from ear to ear. Clearly, he liked Elliot’s proposition.

“Hmm, what’s your full name?” Stephanie asked Seb.

“Sebastian Smythe.”

“Why do I get the feeling I know you from somewhere?” Stephanie mused.

“Because you probably do,” Sebastian smirked. “I starred in a television series for eight years, and after that I had a few small roles in films and other TV series. I was the face of a Hugo Boss perfume, I did some runways for Marc Jacobs and I was a Calvin Klein model as well. So no doubt, you’ve seen my face before.”

Stephanie frowned. “No, no … It was music-related. You were on The Ellen Show to talk about your album and your concert tour. And you sang a snippet of your new single and taught Ellen the dance moves to go with it. I remember thinking ‘Wow, that boy has sweet moves’. And just at that moment, Ellen careened into you and you both fell on the floor.”

Sebastian threw his head back and laughed. “Yes … In hindsight, we should have rehearsed before the show. That was fun, though. Ellen’s always so spontaneous, I love that.”

“So you can definitely sing and dance, and you’ve done a concert tour before,” Stephanie listed.

Sebastian nodded.

“And you would be okay with Elliot being the headliner?” Stephanie continued.

“If I get to sing my original songs, then yes,” Sebastian qualified.

“Right,” Stephanie said absently, as though she were already formulating a sales pitch in her head. “I’ll see what I can do. Here’s my card, and can I have your number please, so I can get back to you? Do you want me to act as your manager, or do you have a manager already?”

Sebastian winced a little at the mention of his manager, and softly replied that he didn’t have one at the moment. He took the cell phone she held out and typed in his number.

“Okay, brilliant,” Stephanie smiled. “I’ll discuss things with Mr Lee, and I’ll let you know. Both of you.”


	100. How Do You Suppose I Feel?

# Chapter 100: How Do You Suppose I Feel?

 “ _Jealousy of Mr Elliot! It was the only intelligible motive. Captain Wentworth jealous of her affection! Could she have believed it a week ago; three hours ago! For a moment the gratification was exquisite. But, alas! there were very different thoughts to succeed. How was such jealousy to be quieted? How was the truth to reach him? How, in all the peculiar disadvantages of their respective situations, would he ever learn of her real sentiments? It was misery to think of Mr Elliot's attentions. Their evil was incalculable._ ” (Jane Austen, _Persuasion_ )

Elliot took his leave after asking them to come to his New Year’s Eve party the next day, and the three of them walked back to the apartment in silence.

Sebastian was deep in thought, and Blaine seemed miles away as well.

Back at the apartment, Sebastian excused himself, citing that he needed to go over his songs to see if he had enough of them to fill a set list. “Once I’ve chosen the songs I want to perform, can I use the two of you as my sounding board? You’ve already heard two of my songs yesterday, but I want to run them all by you. You have a good ear. You’ll know whether they sound okay or not.”

“Of course,” Kurt answered, and Blaine nodded: “No problem, man.”

Sebastian shot them a blinding smile and disappeared to his bedroom.

Blaine sat down on the sofa with a heavy sigh, and Kurt curled up next to him, snuggling into his side.

“This is nice,” Kurt remarked. “Just the two of us, for a change. I like hanging out with my friends, but sometimes I just want them all gone so that I can spend some time alone with you.”

Blaine gave Kurt a wistful smile. “You do?”

Kurt quirked an eyebrow at his boyfriend. “Of course I do! This vacation didn’t exactly go the way I planned it. I thought we’d be packing up all my stuff and your stuff for the move, and I wanted to get some more work done on my new shop and intended to discuss our house with Puck and Jake. They already know what I want for the kitchen and should have ordered everything by now, but I want to know when they’d be available to start working on our house to take the old bathrooms and kitchen out. And I’ve been piecing together two new bathrooms as well, but I want to show you my sketches and hear your thoughts on them before I tell the plumber to order all that stuff. And instead we’ve been in New York for five days already. Good heavens, I should call my dad and tell him where I am before he reports me as missing. We missed last week’s Friday Night Dinner, and I didn’t so much as text him that we couldn’t make it!”

Kurt grabbed his phone and called his dad. Burt picked up the phone after just a few rings.

“Kurt? Where are you?”

_Uh-oh, he sounds really worried. I should have called the day we left. Or Friday, to tell him we couldn’t come over for dinner._

“Hey dad! Sorry I didn’t call earlier … Believe it or not, Blaine and I are in New York!”

Burt was silent for a few beats. Then he growled: “If you two idiots have been getting married without inviting us, I’ll never forgive you!”

“What?” Kurt shrieked. “No, we haven’t! Dad, that’s insane!”

“Hey, you’re the one moving in with a boyfriend you’ve only been with for … What? Two months?”

Kurt bristled. “I know I haven’t known Blaine for very long, but I know he’s the one for me, Dad. We belong together. Only we live too far apart, so it makes sense for us to move in together. I don’t want to wait another year just because people might think we’re rushing things. I’m sure about Blaine.”

“I know, kid,” Burt chuckled, “I was exactly the same with your mom. Knew she was the one from the day I met her. I’m just saying … You’re both romantic fools, and clearly not afraid of jumping into things at a second’s notice, so the first thing I thought of when I heard ‘New York’ was that Blaine had proposed to you and you’d run away to get married in your dream city.”

“Oh …” Kurt trailed off. “No. It was a spur of the moment decision, yes, but there was no proposal and no wedding. Why on earth would we elope, anyway? When we get married, I want you there. I want you to officiate. And I want all my friends and family there as well.”

“Good,” Burt approved. “So why did you rush to New York and forget all about your old man for a week?”

“One of my friends needed my help,” Kurt explained. “And then we stayed a few days to enjoy New York.”

“So when will you be back?” Burt wanted to know. “In time for our next Friday Night Dinner?”

“Yes, I think so,” Kurt answered. “We’ll probably come home the day after New Year’s.”

“Alright. See you on Friday, kiddo.”

“See you on Friday!”

Kurt ended the call and put his phone on the coffee table. Then he cuddled up to Blaine again, sighing in satisfaction. “I should have called earlier. I’ve been so out of it ever since I came to New York. I’ve been neglecting you these past few days too, haven’t I, sweetie?”

Blaine gave him another forlorn little smile.

“I’m sorry, honey,” Kurt apologised. “About the whole Devon thing, too. I’m going to ask Elliot to play Devon. The TV series can wait until Seb and Elliot are done touring. You could have knocked me down with a feather, though, when Elliot announced he wanted Seb to come along as his supporting act. I so wasn’t expecting that.”

“No-one was, I think,” Blaine stated. “I’m a little surprised you want Elliot as Devon, though.”

Kurt felt his cheeks burn. “It’s not … You did really well the last time you played the scene. You were perfect as Devon. I told you so, and I stand by that.”

“Then why would you pick Elliot?” Blaine asked, sounding genuinely puzzled.

Kurt’s blush intensified. “Promise you won’t laugh?”

Blaine took one of Kurt’s hands in his, and gave him a tender look. “I promise.”

“It … It made me so jealous,” Kurt admitted. “Seeing you go all dreamy about Seb. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it at all. So I’d rather pick Elliot, who’ll do just fine as Devon, than to pick you and be unhappy every time I have to suffer through seeing you swoon over Seb.”

Blaine was silent. He’d lowered his eyes and was playing with his fingers distractedly. After a while, though, he seemed to make up his mind as to what he was going to say, and his eyes found Kurt’s again determinedly. “YOU were jealous? How do you suppose I feel?”

Whatever response Kurt had expected, it wasn’t this. “What do you mean?”

“Ever since we’ve arrived, everything you do is for Sebastian, and all you talk about is Sebastian. You told me he makes you feel whole again. Complete. On top of the world. Do you have any idea how much it hurt for me to hear that from you? Do you know how that made me feel? Like an afterthought, that’s how! You’re telling your dad you know I’m the one for you and bla, bla, bla, but I haven’t felt like that lately. You ignore me and everything I say, you yell at me as soon as things don’t go exactly your way, you belittle me and you order me around without even thinking twice about it. I’m supposed to be your boyfriend, but you obviously care more about Sebastian’s well-being than you do about mine. I feel like I’m just tagging along for the ride and forever trying to catch up. I came along with you to New York, not because I so badly wanted to meet Sebastian or your other friends, but to be by your side and help you every step of the way. I made friends with Sebastian, not to make you jealous, but because he’s important to you. And I played badly those first few times Sebastian and I did the scene because it felt so weird for me to pretend to be in love with him. Not to spite you. And then I made an effort to get into character and play the scene as it was supposed to go because you believed I could do it and I wanted to prove you right. Not because I fancy Sebastian.”

Kurt was taken aback by Blaine’s vehemence.

_That ran deep … I have been neglecting him, it’s true. And accusing him of not being supportive when really, all he ever does is go out of his way to accommodate me and support me. I feel like such a failure as a boyfriend now._

“I’m sorry,” Kurt whispered. “I’m so sorry. I … When I’ve got something in my head, I’m single-minded in my pursuit of that aim, and it’s true … I don’t listen to anyone else. I … I can try? Next time I ignore what you’re saying, just call me out on it. Make me listen. Please. I don’t … Please don’t ever think you’re not important to me. You are. And your opinions are too. I’ve just been stubborn and impolite and childish. And I’m truly sorry.”

Blaine’s eyes softened, and he pulled Kurt in for a hug.

“Do you … Do you want to go home earlier?” Kurt asked hesitantly. “Have a few more days just with the two of us?”

Blaine shook his head. “No. No, that’s all right. I like it here in New York. And Elliot’s party will be fun.”


	101. You Are Everything

# Chapter 101: You Are Everything

 _“You are part of my existence, part of myself. You have been in every line I have ever read.” (_ Charles Dickens _, Great Expectations)_

As soon as Elliot had calmed down from his laughing fit, he remarked conversationally: “I met her once, you know. Beyoncé. She’s amazing.”

“You did?” Kurt shrieked. Elliot nodded solemnly, a glimmer of laughter leaping into his eyes when he saw Kurt pout spectacularly and declare: “I’m so jealous right now.”

That led to each of them confessing which celebrities they would really love to meet. For Kurt, that was Beyoncé and Lady Gaga. Sebastian expressed his regret that he would never be able to meet Michael Jackson in real life - “He died long before his time”. Elliot agreed with that, and added that he’d have liked to have met Freddy Mercury as well. Blaine nodded approvingly, and mentioned that he would choose Katy Perry and Phil Collins.

“Oh, Katy’s nice,” Elliot grinned. “Wacky but nice.”

Blaine decided to forgive Elliot the jab at his favourite singer, and asked him when he met Katy Perry, and what she was wearing, and if Elliot sang a duet with her.

Blaine’s enthusiasm made Elliot chuckle, but he answered Blaine’s questions willingly enough.

Sebastian rolled his eyes at the prolonged Katy Perry talk, and cut Blaine off from continuing his rapid-fire questioning by asking a question of his own: “So how far along are you with your new album?”

Elliot beamed and talked shop with Sebastian for a long while. “In fact, if you wouldn’t mind helping me out, I’d like you guys to do the back-up singing for my new single and for the two other songs I’ve finished so far. Would you?”

They assured him they’d love to help him out, so after lunch, they accompanied Elliot to the recording studio. There, Elliot introduced them to everybody, and after warming up with a song they all knew, Elliot distributed the sheet music for the songs they were going to help out with and told each of them which part they were to sing.

The four of them sounded good, Blaine thought. It made him think of Dalton and the Warblers. He had missed singing like this, creating a rich harmony that was so much more than just the blending of their voices.

Elliot was pleased with the results as well, that much was obvious. His smile was incandescent, and his thanks sincere and fervent. He went to see his manager with a jaunty spring in his step.

Elliot had asked them to wait for him, so they settled in the lounge, but a short while later, Elliot appeared again and beckoned them. “Stephanie wants a word with you too.” Mystified, Blaine and the others trod along.

Apparently, Stephanie had been watching them and listening to them, and had been favourably impressed. She asked Elliot why he’d brought them along.

Elliot grinned and went to stand next to Sebastian, whom he introduced to Stephanie. Elliot told her Sebastian was looking for a new label and suggested she talk Sebastian up to Elliot’s label and take him into consideration as Elliot’s supporting act for his concert tour.

_Huh? Wow … Did he discuss that with Sebastian beforehand?_

Sebastian didn’t seem phased in the least, so this may not have been new information to him, though with Sebastian, it was hard to tell.

_They both seem pleased as Punch at the prospect of touring together. Hmm … Maybe Sebastian will get into Elliot’s pants after all … They’d make a striking couple. Very handsome, the both of them._

Stephanie went fully into professional mode, interrogating Sebastian. She seemed to like what she heard, though, and ended up giving Sebastian her card and promising to see into it and contact him.

Elliot beamed again, and walked them out, citing he had some stuff left to do at the studio, but inviting them for his New Year’s Eve party the next day.

_Wow, is it almost New Year’s Eve already? My Christmas break is nearly over!_

All three of them promised to come, and hugged Elliot before heading back to Sebastian’s apartment.

_I hadn’t realised we’d spent so many days in New York already. Wow. Time really does fly. It’s not the Christmas break I would have chosen, though, much as I like Sebastian and Elliot. I wanted that vacation straight out of the movies. Snowball fights and ice-skating and then warming up with hot chocolate. Boxing up all our belongings to get ready to move in together. Having Sarah and Toby sleep over again and playing happy families with them. Instead, I got a sizeable serving of anxiety, homophobia, jealousy and Kurt either being unreasonable or obliviously hurtful. Then again, I should speak up more. I tend to always go along with what Kurt wants, no matter how I feel about it. No wonder he’s starting to take me for granted. We really need to talk._

At the Lucerne, Sebastian announced that he needed some time to himself to make an inventory of the songs he could use for the concert, and asked Kurt and Blaine if they’d give him their opinion on the songs he ended up choosing. When they both promised they’d listen and critique his songs, he smiled happily and left them alone in the living room.

_Now’s your chance, Anderson. Man up and tell Kurt how you feel. Clearly, he has no idea something’s wrong, and you can’t keep it all inside again until you explode and then run away again like last time. That’s not healthy. Don’t bite his nose off, but tell him what sticks in your throat, and don’t let him brush it off this time. Make sure you get through to him._

Blaine sank onto the sofa, his mind whirling and his stomach cramping with nerves in anticipation of Kurt’s reaction. He was just trying to decide how to lead up to it gently when Kurt sat down next to him. Kurt threw his legs over Blaine’s and moulded his body into Blaine’s, sighing ecstatically. Blaine absently stroked Kurt’s back, and that made Kurt try to bury himself even deeper into Blaine’s chest.

_There’s my affectionate kitty again …_

Kurt broke the silence first, telling Blaine it felt so good to be able to spend some time with Blaine alone and that he, too, had pictured his holiday break rather differently from how it turned out. Somehow, that led to Kurt remembering he needed to call Burt, so he did.

Burt picked up straightaway and it was obvious from the tone of his voice that he had been worrying. Burt’s reaction when Kurt told him they were in New York was rather astonishing. He suspected them of having eloped. _Huh?_

It was nice to hear Kurt defend their relationship, though it didn’t mend the cracks in Blaine’s heart or erase the doubt Blaine felt.

Kurt sounded so sure, even saying “when we get married” and not “if”, as though it were a matter of course that they’d end up husbands. The romantic in Blaine thrilled to that, but a snide voice in his head that sounded rather like Adam pointed out that it wasn’t likely Kurt would settle for him when there were more handsome and talented and famous candidates.

_Kurt told me he chose me over Sebastian! He told me I was his happily ever after!_

The snide voice scoffed at that, telling Blaine that Kurt may have said that to soothe Blaine, but certainly didn’t behave like it, and didn’t actions speak louder than words?

Blaine’s stomach churned uncomfortably again, and he so wished he could believe Kurt without any misgivings or doubts. He was glad to hear they’d be leaving the day after New Year’s. That left at least the weekend as alone time for them.

Kurt hung up and cuddled closer to Blaine again, admitting he’d been neglecting everything else but Sebastian, Blaine included.

 _Well, admitting there’s a problem is the first step_ , Blaine thought wrily.

Kurt apologised for neglecting Blaine and pushing him to play Devon, mentioning he’d ask Elliot to play the part.

_Really? But you said I was perfect the last time I played the part?_

Blaine showed himself surprised, and Kurt looked away, blushed, and started toying with the brooch on his jacket.

_Huh, what’s this all about? Do I want to know?_

And then Kurt confessed that Blaine’s acting had made him jealous.

_Well, Anderson, there you have it. I don’t think you’ll get a better opening than this, so go on and say your piece!_

So Blaine made a mental list of everything he needed to tell Kurt, took a deep breath to steel himself, looked Kurt straight in the eye and let it all out.

A wide range of emotions flitted across Kurt’s face while Blaine was speaking. Surprise and shock were predominant, but Blaine also saw sadness, guilt and shame.

_The message has come across, then? Good._

Kurt listened attentively and didn’t interrupt. When Blaine fell silent, Kurt didn’t say anything at first, but his lip trembled and he seemed seconds away from crying.

_No, Anderson, don’t take him in your arms and comfort him right now. You’re having a serious talk with Kurt and you need to hear him address your concerns. You need to know what he’s thinking, and how he truly feels about you and about Sebastian._

Kurt took a shuddering breath and apologised shakily and haltingly, stressing that Blaine WAS important to him, and telling Blaine to make him listen if needs be.

_I will, I promise. I’ll try not to let it fester next time._

Blaine pulled Kurt onto his lap for a comforting hug, but that didn’t abate Kurt’s guilt-stricken look. Kurt gently cupped Blaine’s face in his hands and tentatively suggested they could go home earlier, and spend some time alone before school started again.

As much as Blaine liked the idea, he’d promised Elliot to come to his party, and he was sure it would be fun, so he told Kurt there was no need to shorten their trip.

“Okay, if you’re sure,” Kurt acquiesced.

Blaine nodded. “I’m sure.”

“And I didn’t mean it that way,” Kurt clarified. “About Sebastian, I mean. It’s not that HE makes me whole. It’s just that he hurt me so much back then that it really knocked my confidence and made me a scared shadow of my former self. So knowing that he loved me and had no intention of tearing me down that way … It healed a part of me that was broken. That’s all I meant to say. Not that I prize him above you, because I most certainly don’t. I care about him, yes, but only as a friend. You … You are everything to me. And I’m sorry that I don’t show it enough to make you feel secure of my love. It’s not just words. I promise you it’s not.”

And then Kurt, still cradling Blaine’s head tenderly, kissed Blaine, and it felt like Kurt was putting everything he could not express in words into that kiss. Blaine closed his eyes and revelled in the feeling of having Kurt so close and so open and so undeniably and undoubtedly his.

_Is this why people rave about make-up sex? Because talking things out brings you so much closer to one another that every word, every look, every touch means more?_

The kiss turned salty, and Blaine drew back to find Kurt crying. Blaine fished a clean handkerchief out of his back pocket and handed it to Kurt, who curled up into a ball against Blaine’s chest, sobbing. Blaine stroked his back and arms comfortingly, and glanced at the grandfather clock near the television set to see what time it was, planning on eating an early supper and then retiring to bed.

He started when he saw Sebastian, his guitar in one hand and music sheets in the other, standing at the other side of the living room, looking remorseful and forlorn. How much of their conversation had Sebastian heard?

“Sorry,” Sebastian mouthed, and quietly slipped into his bedroom again.


	102. Mother Hen

# Chapter 102: Mother Hen

“ _Maybe happiness didn't have to be about the big, sweeping circumstances, about having everything in your life in place. Maybe it was about stringing together a bunch of small pleasures. Wearing slippers and watching the Miss Universe contest. Eating a brownie with vanilla ice cream. Getting to level seven in Dragon Master and knowing there were twenty more levels to go. Maybe happiness was just a matter of the little upticks- the traffic signal that said "Walk" the second you go there- and downticks- the itch tag at the back of your collar- that happened to every person in the course of the day. Maybe everybody had the same allotted measure of happiness within each day. Maybe it didn't matter if you were a world-famous heartthrob or a painful geek. Maybe it didn't matter if your friend was possibly dying. Maybe you just got through it. Maybe that was all you could ask for._ " (Ann Brashares, _The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants_ )   


Kurt cried for a long time, and then resurfaced from his hide-out against Blaine’s chest with red-rimmed eyes and a puffed-up nose, still looking sad and guilty and, if Blaine was not mistaken, a bit scared as well.

“So-sorry,” Kurt hiccupped, and he blew his nose.

Blaine gently wiped a stray tear from Kurt’s cheek with his thumb, and rubbed his nose against Kurt’s briefly to make his boyfriend laugh. Kurt chuckled wetly, but then resumed a serious and contemplative expression. “I’m not very good boyfriend material, am I? I’m much too self-absorbed. I really don’t know how you put up with me most days. In the mornings, I’m grouchy and I don’t function until I have lots of coffee in my system. Then, the rest of the day, I’m designing and sewing and I’m totally in the zone and don’t check my phone. It’s only in the evenings that I’m somewhat approachable and even then I make you watch _my_ favourite programmes and we talk about stuff that _I_ find interesting.”

Blaine smiled at Kurt. “You’re adorable when you’re grumpy in the morning. And all it takes is a mug of coffee to get you kick-started for the day, so that’s easily remedied. And during the day, I work too, love, so you not answering your texts isn’t such a tragedy. Just make a habit of checking your phone at lunch time, and we’re golden. And yes, we watch your favourite television programmes, because I happen to like them too. And what do you mean, we talk about your stuff? We talk about anything and everything. That’s one of the things I like most about you, that I can literally discuss every subject under the sun with you, without it ever feeling awkward or without you quietly judging me. Well, except when we’re discussing fashion, that is …”

Kurt giggled. “Yes, I’m quite opinionated on that topic.”

“And with reason,” Blaine admitted. “You never look any less than impeccable.”

That earned Blaine a shy but radiant smile. “Thank you.”

“Want to make dinner now?” Blaine offered. “I feel like turning in early today. I really didn’t get enough sleep last night.”

“Okay,” Kurt agreed. “Can we just make a simple omelette or something else easy and quick?”

“I was thinking home-made pizzas. I’ll make the dough. You ask Sebastian what toppings he wants, all right? For you it’s prosciutto and rucola, I know. Wait, I’ll check the fridge real quick to see what the options are.”

Blaine opened the fridge and took stock of the contents. “Apart from your toppings, we’ve got ham, salami, cherry tomatoes, red and green peppers, red onions, eggs, mushrooms, ricotta, goat’s cheese and mozzarella. And I’m sure there are some olives here somewhere as well.”

“Okay, I’ll go ask,” Kurt announced, and moments later, Blaine heard him knock on Sebastian’s bedroom door.

Blaine couldn’t hear their quiet exchange, but when he looked up from stretching the pizza dough, both Kurt and Sebastian were there.

“Can I help?” Sebastian asked.

“Pick your toppings,” Blaine replied. “Do you want one big pizza or three small ones?”

“One big one,” Sebastian grinned. “If that’s okay with you, Kurt?”

“Definitely,” Kurt nodded. “I’ll go fetch the tomato purée in the pantry.”

Sebastian chuckled. “Just a few days and you’re already more at home here in this apartment than I am. I would never have known where to look.”

Kurt rolled his eyes, and then took Sebastian by the elbow. “In that case, you’re coming with me and I’ll show where you can find all the necessary staples for a dinner even you can put together.”

“Yes, Mom,” Sebastian murmured, amused, and followed Kurt to the pantry.

Blaine heard Kurt lecture Sebastian about needing to eat healthily even if he wasn’t much of a cook, and chuckled under his breath. “Mom” was a good epithet for Kurt when he was mothering Sebastian like that.

The pizza was delicious, and after they’d all eaten their fill and then some, Sebastian asked Kurt and Blaine if he could play them his songs.

“Who would say no to a private concert?” Blaine grinned. “Go for it, man!”

“And you’ll tell me what you think?” Sebastian insisted.

“Absolutely,” Kurt promised.

So Sebastian went to get his guitar, and Kurt and Blaine sat down on the sofa and enjoyed his singing.

Blaine was serious about telling Sebastian exactly what he thought of the songs, though, suggesting a different key for one arrangement, and a shortened refrain for the next - “That way, the message will be more powerful”. Blaine also tweaked the guitar accompaniment for a love song with a beautiful melody, and told Sebastian to speed up the tempo of an angry song and add a percussion line to it.

Kurt didn’t comment on the music, but addressed the lyrics. “Too much rambling, there, Sebastian, you can barely get all the words out in time.”

Kurt typed something on his phone and held it out for Sebastian to see. “What if you sang it like that? Try it?”

So Sebastian tried it again, with the new lyrics, and it did work better.

When they had heard and commented on all the songs Sebastian had on offer, Sebastian thanked them, his eyes shining and his smile big and bright. “I’m really stoked that I’ll get to sing my own songs, finally. I can’t wait! And you’ve made them sound so much better already, so thanks an awful lot!”

“Any time,” Blaine shrugged, and Kurt nodded. “This was fun. I liked hearing your songs. They’re very personal, though. You’re baring your soul here, Seb. Are you sure you want to share all this with your fans? It’s going to ruin your bad boy image.”

Sebastian bit his lip thoughtfully and then squared his shoulders and looked Kurt straight in the eye. “Well, maybe it’s about time I start cultivating a new image. One that is closer to the truth. These songs are emotional, yes, and they show that I’m not as confident as I may seem at first glance, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s relatable. And if I lose fans because of this, they’re not the kind of fans I wanted in the first place.”

“True,” Blaine agreed, and then yawned hugely. “Sorry … I woke up at 6.30 AM this morning, and I think my body’s trying to tell me it wants to crash.”

Sebastian laughed and nudged Kurt. “Go on, Mom, put ickle Blainey to bed. And thanks again for your help!”

Blaine pouted exaggeratedly and stuck out his tongue at Sebastian, who laughed even harder. Kurt giggled, too, remarking that Blaine really did look like a five-year-old that way, and taking his hand to tug him to their bedroom.

K&B

For once, Blaine did not wake up at 6.30 AM. He’d been woken up during the night by loud screams that came from Sebastian’s bedroom.

“Nightmare, I guess?” he slurred groggily, and Kurt hummed and got out of bed. “I’ll go wake him up and calm him down. I’ll be right back.”

And Kurt was back soon, only he brought Sebastian with him, deathly pale, trembling like a leaf and looking immensely distraught. “Can Seb sleep here tonight? I’m afraid if he goes back to sleep alone in his own bed, he’ll go straight back to his nightmare.”

“Mm-kay,” Blaine mumbled, and scooted more to the right side of the bed, so that Sebastian could lie in the middle. He heard a quiet “Thanks” from Sebastian and a terse “Tuck your elbows and your knees in, you’re prodding me” from Kurt, chuckled under his breath and then drifted off to sleep again.

Blaine woke up to the hum of quiet voices. Feeling warm and drowsy and perfectly content, he allowed himself to wake up slowly and gradually instead of immediately alerting the others to the fact that he’d woken up.

“We’ll go back home either tomorrow or the day after that,” Kurt announced. “It’s about time we left. Us being here is messing up my relationship with Blaine. He feels threatened by you, though I’ve told him time and again that you’re just a friend to me. But I have to admit that I’ve been neglecting him and his needs - no, not like that, don’t give me that look!”

Sebastian chuckled. “Sorry … I know what you mean, though.”

There was silence for a beat, and then Sebastian continued. “I heard you yesterday. I’m sorry. I came to the living room with my guitar and my songs, and you were having a very serious discussion. I should have gone straight back to my room, but … Well … It was about me, so I wanted to know. And I’m really sorry I made Blaine feel that way, you know. I like him, and he suits you way better than I ever would have. You make each other so happy, and I would never want to mess that up.”

“He’s amazing, isn’t he?” Kurt sighed happily.

Sebastian chuckled again. “You’re not going to be jealous if I say yes, are you? Yes, he is. He’s the dream prince you deserve. Kind and sweet and charming, not to mention easy on the eyes. And it’s clear he’d move heaven and earth for you. Hold on to him, he’s the real deal.”

Kurt giggled. “I know. I know he is. He’s pretty perfect.”

“And I’m sorry I messed up your Christmas break,” Sebastian apologised. “I’m sure you had nicer things in mind than babysitting me. Quite the mother hen, aren’t you? I liked it, though. It’s been a long time since someone cared enough about me to remind me to eat well and sleep well and stop drinking so much alcohol.”

“Your aunts care,” Kurt countered that. “Your mother cares too. And now you have me and Blaine. Elliot, too, I think. He wouldn’t have asked you to go touring with him if he didn’t truly like you. I’m glad. It means you’ll have a friend here once I’m gone. Elliot’s such a nice laid-back guy. Just what you need to keep you grounded.”

“I like him too,” Sebastian admitted. “Not just because I want in his pants. I still do, though. He’s so hot.”

“I know,” Kurt agreed, and they both laughed.

“Don’t forget us while you’re out there with Elliot playing rock star, okay?” Kurt demanded. “I want to hear from you regularly from now on, or else I’ll worry.”

“Yes, Mom,” Sebastian quipped, and then he let out an indignant “Ow!” and Kurt hissed: “Stop calling me Mom.”

Blaine stifled a snigger.

“Want to go to the kitchen and start making breakfast?” Kurt offered. “I’ll show you how to make chocolate chip pancakes. It’s really easy.”

“The both of you invite me into your bed and then expect me to walk away without having had hot sex?” Sebastian griped playfully, and Blaine heard another smack and another “Ouch!”

“Not even some making out and groping?” Sebastian tried again, sounding as if he could barely contain his laughter, and made loud kissing noises. Then the sheets rustled as Sebastian scooted closer to Blaine to avoid Kurt’s wrath.

Blaine burst out laughing.

“Oh good, you’re awake,” Sebastian whispered conspiratorially. “Save me from this demon you call boyfriend, will you? He’s already hit me twice. Is he always this violent when he wakes up in the morning?”

Blaine snorted. “No, he’s not. Only when provoked. You brought this on yourself, Mr Sex Maniac!”

“Well, can you blame me?” Sebastian defended himself. “I haven’t seen any action in ages, and here you are, both gorgeous and sexy and pressing up against me from all sides. I feel like a kid in a candy store who’s not allowed to touch anything. It’s torture! It’s so unfair of you to leave me hanging. I’d make it worth your while, you know.”

By now, Kurt was giggling helplessly, and Blaine was hardly in a better state.

Sebastian pouted and petulantly muttered “Meanies”, but that only made them laugh harder, and then a silent message passed between them and they pounced on Sebastian, tickling him mercilessly. Sebastian tried to squirm away and retaliate, but he was no match for the two of them.

When Sebastian breathlessly implored them to stop and they let up tickling, Kurt smirked. “That enough groping for you?”

Blaine chuckled, and Sebastian pouted again. “Two against one isn’t fair.”

“Awww,” cooed Blaine. “Want some cuddles to make up for it? Come on, love, let’s make a Sebastian sandwich!”

Kurt quirked his eyebrow in an “I don’t think so” manner, but relented when Blaine turned on the puppy dog eyes full blast and shrugged. “All right, all right.”

They both slung an arm around Sebastian’s waist and cuddled up to him.

Sebastian sighed blissfully and closed his eyes. “That’s more like it.”

A while later, Sebastian murmured: “I’m going to miss the both of you. I love having you as flatmates.”

“We’re going to miss you too,” Blaine admitted.

“We are,” Kurt agreed. “Come and stay with us while you’re touring in Ohio, will you? You can bring Elliot too. And this summer, we’ll be expecting you both as well. We have a pilot to film, after all.”


	103. Songs And Nightmares

# Chapter 103: Songs And Nightmares

" _Poor little old human beings – they’re jerked into this world without having any idea where they came from or what it is they are supposed to do, or how long they have to do it in. Or where they are gonna wind up after that. But bless their hearts, most of them wake up every morning and keep on trying to make some sense out of it. Why, you can’t help but love them, can you? I just wonder why more of them aren’t as crazy as betsy bugs._ ” (Fannie Flagg, _Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!_ )

Kurt felt horrible about making Blaine feel like he came second to Sebastian, and made sure to rectify that misunderstanding. He knew, though, that Blaine’s insecurity on this matter stemmed from his childhood, and that no amount of words, however sincere, would be able to convince Blaine. Kurt would have to show Blaine. And that meant putting Blaine first instead of getting swept up in his work or in rescue missions like this one.

Kurt’s lips found Blaine’s, trying to convey all his sadness and penitence and promises to do better.

_Sorry, sorry, sorry … Give me another chance, please … I know I’ve messed up again, and it probably won’t be the last time, either. But I cherish you, I love you, truly, I do._

Blaine kissed him back eagerly, and Kurt was so overwhelmed by this wonderful sweet man, who asked for so little, and kept trusting and loving Kurt even when he really didn’t deserve it sometimes, that his eyes welled over with tears.

Blaine noticed. He gave Kurt a handkerchief and held him close, comforting him with tender touches. That only made Kurt cry so much harder, and it took ages for him to pull himself together again. Finally, he blew his nose and wiped the wetness off his cheeks, cringing at how dry and raw his skin felt.

_Me being such a cry-baby these days is really damaging my skin. As soon as I get home, I’m treating myself to a facial, and tonight I’ll put some green tea bags on my eyelids to reduce the swelling. Oh, and there I go again, thinking of myself instead of having Blaine in mind! Seriously, how can I be so self-centred? Blaine is not going to stand that forever!_

And Kurt, reprimanding himself, apologised to Blaine again and acknowledged that he was by no means a good boyfriend.

Blaine seemed to find Kurt’s self-criticism amusing rather than astute, and assured Kurt that the situation wasn’t as dire as Kurt had painted it. The relief Kurt felt at Blaine’s kind reassurances was offset by his bitter disappointment in himself, and he silently vowed to do better from now on. Blaine may not have high expectations, but he deserved as much attention and love as he lavished on Kurt.

Then Blaine suggested they start making dinner, seeing as he was tired, and they decided on pizzas. Kurt went to ask Sebastian what pizza toppings he was in the mood for, and Seb, once he’d gotten over his shock that there were people who actually made pizzas from scratch, came along to the kitchen to pick what he wanted, and his eyes shone when Blaine let him choose between a small pizza per person or a big one for the three of them.

When Kurt mentioned fetching an ingredient, Sebastian expressed his surprise at Kurt knowing his way around the kitchen and pantry much better than he did.

_That doesn’t astonish me in the least, honey, and I’m sure you’ve been enjoying all the home-cooked food these past days, but we won’t be around forever. It’s about time you grow up and learn how to make yourself dinner as well. Honestly, you’re as helpless as a baby when it comes to taking care of yourself, and that’s inexcusable!_

So Kurt tugged Sebastian along to the pantry, rattling off a series of simple dinner options Sebastian could easily put together on his own, and showing him where he could find everything he needed.

“Your pantry and fridge are remarkably well stocked for someone who never cooks,” Kurt remarked. He’d noticed that the very first day he arrived in New York and made the three of them dinner.

“Yeah, I get a weekly delivery of groceries,” Sebastian explained. “Somebody comes and stocks the fridge and pantry with whatever I might need, and gets rid of all the expired items.”

“Living in the lap of luxury, aren’t you?” Kurt asked, his tone disapproving, but Sebastian just smirked and nodded in a self-satisfied way, making Kurt roll his eyes.

“I dare say you let pretty much all of the fresh produce go to waste and only make yourself cheese sandwiches and heat up frozen meals,” Kurt conjectured.

“Pretty much, yes,” Sebastian admitted.

“Honestly, do you want to die of a heart attack before you’re forty years old?” Kurt exclaimed reprovingly, and Sebastian chuckled.

“I’m serious!” Kurt insisted. “Even thin people can have health problems if they live on junk food and alcohol, like you. You need eat fruit and vegetables every day. If you’re too lazy to eat fruit or vegetables that need to be peeled and cut, just stick to the ready-to-eat options. There are plenty of them. Blueberries and grapes and cherry tomatoes just need to be rinsed and then you can pop them straight into your mouth.”

Sebastian looked at Kurt and raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “I’ll make sure to eat some veggies whenever I eat out, how about that?”

“But that won’t be enough,” Kurt countered. “You need five servings of fruit and vegetables a day!”

Sebastian just shrugged, looking bored, and Kurt threw his arms up in desperation. “Aaargh, you’re hopeless!! Can’t you at least make an effort to eat healthily? For me?”

Kurt paired his plea with his most beseeching look, and he heard Sebastian suck in a sharp breath before he capitulated. “You really don’t play fair. But … Yes, I promise. I’ll try and make more healthy choices, to the best of my ability.”

“That’s all I ask,” Kurt sing-songed, internally fist-pumping in triumph.

The rest of the evening was filled with song, as Sebastian ran to all the possible choices for his concert with them. Much like the songs he’d shared with them the day before, they were all emotional and quite dark, apart from a sweet little love song that was such a thing of beauty that it squeezed Kurt’s heart and made him choke up and reach for Blaine’s hand. Blaine smiled at him tenderly and raised Kurt’s hand to his mouth to kiss it.

Blaine had tons of suggestions for the songs. Kurt was in awe at how familiar Blaine seemed to be with the whole song-writing process, and how his suggestions really did improve the songs. Kurt’s meagre contribution consisted in whipping into shape some sloppy lyrics so as to give them more punch.

However, Sebastian seemed just as grateful for that as he was for Blaine’s far more extensive notes and recommendations, and practically floated on air with happiness at the thought of getting to sing his very own songs.

_Thank you, Elliot, that offer of yours came at exactly the right time and might prove Sebastian’s turning point and salvation. Seb already seems in a much better headspace than he was a few days ago. Now I can only hope that the two of you will continue to hit it off well …_

Sebastian thanked them both profusely, and Kurt said he’d loved hearing Seb’s songs, though they were a far cry from his first album, which contained peppy pop songs, and he asked Sebastian if he was sure he wanted to veer in such a different direction.

Kurt saw a flash of nerves in Sebastian’s eyes, but Seb insisted he did want this change. Blaine backed him up, and then let out a big yawn, which effectively ended the conversation and the day.

K&B

Though they’d gone to bed early, Kurt and Blaine did not get a good night’s sleep. At twenty past one, Kurt was jolted awake by somebody screaming in terror. Kurt’s heart pounded wildly and for a minute, he felt very disoriented, not knowing where he was or why and who on earth was making that infernal noise. Then Blaine stirred next to him, murmuring something about a nightmare, and he remembered that they were staying at the Smythe apartment and that Sebastian sometimes had nightmares. He’d never shouted this loudly before, though.

Kurt told Blaine he’d take care of it, and padded off to Sebastian’s bedroom, feeling his way around in the darkness. Thankfully, Sebastian had a night light on in his room, and Kurt was quick to rush to his friend, who was thrashing about wildly and imploring his father to stop, please stop, please stop.

Kurt gently put his hands on Sebastian’s shoulders and whispered: “Wake up! Wake up, Sebastian! It’s all right. You’re safe. Your father isn’t here. You’re okay. I’m right here with you.”

Sebastian quieted and opened his eyes. “Kurt?” he croaked.

“You were having a nightmare,” Kurt explained.

“I know,” Sebastian shuddered.

“You remember what you were dreaming of?” Kurt asked.

Sebastian nodded, a glum look on his face. “I always do when I wake up halfway through. Once I fall asleep again, I’ll go straight back to where it left off, like I just hit the pause button.”

Then Sebastian seemed to realise why Kurt had come. “Woke you up, did I? Sorry, man! I’ll go to the living room and drink my body weight in coffee and try to stay awake the rest of the night.”

Kurt was horrified at the very idea, and told Sebastian firmly that he would do no such thing. Before Sebastian could react, Kurt had tugged him all the way to the guest bedroom he shared with Blaine, and asked Blaine if Sebastian could sleep in their bed for the rest of the night to keep nightmares away. Blaine didn’t mind, so Kurt shoved Sebastian onto the bed and followed behind, telling Seb not to take up too much room.

Blaine, who’d been barely awake when Kurt returned with Sebastian, was out like a light again as soon as all three of them were in bed, but Sebastian tossed and turned and couldn’t seem to find a comfortable position to fall asleep in. After a while, Kurt’s patience grew thin and he hissed: “For the love of Gaga, would you please LIE STILL? The whole point of bringing you here was that we would all get some sleep, but if you keep this up, neither of us is going to.”

“Sorry,” Sebastian whispered, and he lay still for a minute, only to start fidgeting again after.

“What is it?” Kurt asked, exasperated. “Are you too warm, or too cold? What’s the matter?”

Sebastian froze. Then he mumbled piteously: “I want a hug from my Aunt Myra. She always used to comfort me and make me feel better when I had bad dreams.”

Sebastian’s breath hitched. “It’s been ages since I’ve had a nightmare this bad. I guess all the songs triggered it. Most are about him, in a way.”

Kurt’s irritation melted away instantly, and only concern and sadness for his friend remained. “Would it help if I held you until you fell asleep?”

Sebastian didn’t answer directly. Then he breathed: “You … You wouldn’t mind?”

Kurt didn’t say anything but just shuffled a tiny bit closer and put his arm around Sebastian’s chest. Moments later, Blaine turned in his sleep and glommed onto Sebastian as well, using him as a pillow and slinging his arm over Sebastian’s waist.

“There,” Kurt smiled. “Even in his sleep, Blaine knows just what you need. We’ll keep the monsters out of your head tonight.”

“Thanks,” Sebastian murmured, sounding a lot happier already.

K&B

When Kurt woke up, it was because one half of him felt sweltering hot, and the other half was freezing. And no wonder. He lay against Sebastian, who was radiating heat, but who had also stolen the covers, so that Kurt’s left side was exposed and felt really cold. Kurt rearranged the covers, but Sebastian proved a light enough sleeper that it woke him.

“Wha… What time is it?” Sebastian croaked.

Kurt checked his phone. “Nearly half past seven.”

Sebastian groaned. “Way too early.”

“Hmm,” Kurt agreed.

“What did you wake me for?” Sebastian whined.

“Because you stole my bed covers, and I wanted them back," Kurt bit back.

They bickered for a bit, and then the conversation went to more serious topics. The nightmares, the songs, Sebastian’s concert plans, Kurt and Blaine’s departure, Blaine’s insecurities and how perfectly he suited Kurt, Sebastian’s family and Elliot. And then Seb, clearly feeling more like himself already, started joking around again, which led to waking Blaine up, and then to Kurt and Blaine staging a joint tickle attack on Seb, and then cuddling him to make up for it.

_I’m going to miss Seb once we’re back in Ohio. I hope we’ll manage to stay in touch this time._


	104. A Perfect Day

# Chapter 104: A Perfect Day

“ _They finished laughing and caught their breaths, and looked at each other, and Ani thought Geric looked at her too long, as though he forgot he was looking, as though he did not wish to do anything else. She looked back. Her heart took its time quieting down._ ” (Shannon Hale, _The Goose Girl_ )

Now that Blaine was awake as well, they adjourned to the kitchen, where Blaine made coffee while Kurt supervised Sebastian making pancakes and chopped up bananas, pineapple and kiwis for a fruit salad.

“So what’s Elliot’s New Year’s Eve party going to be like?” Sebastian asked curiously. “Have you ever gone to the party before? How many people are we talking about? Any A-listers?”

“Well, I’ve only ever seen pictures on Facebook, I’m afraid,” Kurt shrugged. “But I guess there’ll be about twenty or thirty people. I know Adam went to the party last year, so he’ll probably be there. As to the others, I don’t know. I think you’ll be the most famous person present, apart from Elliot himself. Elliot’s not really the kind of guy to show off his fame and to spend lavish amounts on parties. The New Year’s Eve bash is always in his loft, and the decorations look like he put them up himself. Nothing fancy.”

“So I don’t have to dress to the nines so that the paparazzi get a flattering shot of me?” Sebastian inquired, striking an exaggerated pose and batting his lashes.

Blaine snorted, and Kurt threw his head back and laughed. “No, I think you’re safe. Fair warning, though, I mean to dress to impress, so you might want to put in an effort anyway.”

Seb winked at him. “Don’t I always?”

Kurt shuddered. “No, not always. I distinctly recall some outfits of yours that were downright horrifying.”

“Hey, don’t cast up the follies of my youth!” Sebastian pouted.

“I’m not!” Kurt assured him. “I’m referring to what you had on when we arrived here in New York. And what you wore to go to the zoo a few days ago.”

“Hey, there is nothing wrong with dressing down occasionally,” Sebastian protested.

“There’s never an excuse for plaid and baggy jeans that make you look like a scarecrow,” Kurt decreed.

Sebastian shrugged and smirked. “I look hot whatever I wear, Kurtie, you’re just jealous.”

Blaine chuckled, and Kurt threw both him and Sebastian a dirty look. “Don’t call me Kurtie. And let me disabuse you: you don’t look good in everything, Scarecrow.”

“Harsh,” Sebastian commented. “Just for that, I might not let you have any pancakes.”

Blaine laughed and held out his plate. “Goody, goody, more for me!”

Kurt rolled his eyes and helped himself to coffee, inhaling the enticing aroma with a rapturous sigh. After his first cup, he fetched the Greek yoghurt from the fridge and filled three bowls with a generous helping of yoghurt and fruit.

“Can we have lunch at that tearoom you recommended to us, Sebastian?” Blaine asked. “The one with the décor from Alice in Wonderland?”

Sebastian frowned. “Alice’s Tea Cup? That’s more for the two of you. Make it a romantic date, my lovey-doveys. I’ll call Elliot for some concert planning and get out of your way.”

“You don’t have to …” Blaine started to say, but Sebastian cut in: “You’ve already spent way too much time mollycoddling me while you were here. Enough is enough. You get the day off from playing nanny. I promise I won’t get into trouble, all right? Today, I want you to enjoy New York as the nauseatingly sweet couple you are. Check out Tiffany’s, go play the giant piano at FAO Schwartz, have high tea at Alice’s Tea Cup, enjoy the sunset at the Gapstow Bridge and take the elevator to the top of the Empire State Building for a kiss with a view.”

Blaine shot Kurt a bemused glance, and Kurt, though a bit taken aback himself, nodded at him and smiled in a “Let’s do it!” kind of way.

_Sebastian’s right. It will be lovely to have a day just for the two of us. A sweet memory to take back to Ohio._

Blaine still looked a bit conflicted, but Sebastian put a hand on his shoulder and emphasized: “I won’t feel lonely and blue, I promise you. I’ll be with Elliot. And you’ll be back tonight, and we’ll all have fun at Elliot’s party together. So just this once, think of yourself first, Pocket Rocket. Tap into all the allure and romance New York has on offer and sweep your boyfriend off his feet like the fifties movie star you are. You know you want to …”

Blaine grinned, his eyes shining, and nodded. Kurt felt his stomach swoop excitedly, and grinned back at Blaine and Seb.

“That’s settled then,” Sebastian decided, composing a text to Elliot with one hand and shovelling pancake into his mouth with the other.

Elliot proved to be awake already and called Seb within minutes, cheerfully agreeing to come over to hash out the concert plans and jam and sing together.

When Kurt came out of the bathroom an hour later, ready to leave, he saw that Elliot had arrived already, and that he was chatting up a storm with Blaine and Seb.

“Good morning, Elliot,” Kurt greeted him.

“Hey Kurt,” Elliot smiled. “Blaine says you’re going on a romantic date. You picked a great day for it. It’s pretty cold, but sunny. Have a nice time!”

“Thank you,” Kurt blushed, and he turned to Blaine. “Are you ready, sweetie?”

“I’m ready,” Blaine beamed, holding Kurt’s coat out for Kurt to slip his arms into and then shrugging into his own coat.

“Aww, they grow up so fast, don’t they?” Seb remarked conversationally to Elliot, pretending to wipe away a tear. Elliot snorted in reply.

“Bye boys, play nice!” Kurt admonished Seb and Elliot, and towed Blaine along to the elevator.

As soon as they were outside, they conferred on where they wanted to go, and agreed that Seb had offered some good suggestions. They skipped Tiffany’s (“I’d rather go there with Rachel if I ever get the chance,” Kurt confessed), but did go to FAO Schwartz, where Blaine wowed everyone present with his giant piano skills, playing several songs and pulling so many silly faces while doing so that Kurt was reduced to a giggling mess.

Then they went to the New York Library because Blaine had heard that the original stuffed animals from the Winnie The Pooh stories could be found there.

“I had a Tigger stuffed toy as a child,” Blaine confessed. “I toted it everywhere. Even took it to Dalton. It’s on the bookshelf in my bedroom now.”

Kurt laughed. “Good choice. You’re just as bouncy and energetic as Tigger.”

“Am I not as cuddly, too?” Blaine pouted playfully.

Kurt kissed the pout away and conceded that yes, Blaine was definitely just as cuddly.

“I wasn’t really into stuffed toys,” Kurt mused. “My mom made me the cutest little rag doll for my third birthday, and Sophia and I have been inseparable since, though she sleeps on my nightstand now instead of in my bed.”

Blaine squeezed Kurt’s hand softly. “So that’s the story behind the doll? She’s in a remarkably good condition for a doll you’ve had for so many years.”

“Well, I am a master with the needle,” Kurt winked. “And I like to dress her fashionably. She has to be able to keep up with me, you know.”

Blaine nodded solemnly, only a glimmer in his eyes betraying his amusement. “So … Alice’s Tea Cup now?”

They loved the interior and the atmosphere of the quaint tea room, and enjoyed the scones, sandwiches and tea they ordered.

“I used to have tea parties with my dolls, when I was little,” Kurt reminisced. “Often, my mom would join in, too, and she’d order my dad to take pictures. After she died, my father tried to continue that tradition, but I sulked and ran away whenever my dolls and I were having a tea party and he would join us. I was so difficult back then.”

He looked down, momentarily overwhelmed by the recollection, and a lone tear escaped and trickled down his nose straight into his tea cup.

Blaine put his hand over Kurt’s. “Hey … You were so young, and you were grieving for your mother. Cut yourself some slack.”

Kurt smiled at Blaine, and kissed him over the table lingeringly. “Want to go sing ‘That’s How You Know’ with me, in Central Park?”

Blaine beamed. “I’d love to. Do I get to dance with you, too?”

“Absolutely.”

They left the tearoom hand in hand and giggling like teenagers. In Central Park, they visited all the spots that they knew from films and re-enacted the scenes until they both doubled over with laughter and then exchanged breathless kisses just because they could.

“I love Central Park,” Blaine sighed.

“Me too,” Kurt agreed. “And I want to watch the sun set at the Gapstow Bridge, so let’s head over there.”

On the way, they bought hot dogs from a vendor, and Blaine shared his last bit of hot dog with a friendly dog that came up to him and asked to play. Kurt melted into a puddle at the sight, and snapped a few pictures with his phone.

Gapstow Bridge was just as breath-taking at sunset as Sebastian had promised, and they were both silent as they walked back to Sebastian’s apartment to get ready for Elliot’s party. When they reached their destination, they both sighed, reluctant to go inside and end their date.

“This really was a perfect day,” Blaine whispered, curling his arms around Kurt’s waist and reeling him in closer to kiss the living daylights out of him.

“Mmm, it was,” Kurt replied as soon as he’d caught his breath. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”


	105. A Date Straight Out Of The Movies

# Chapter 105: A Date Straight Out Of The Movies

" _As long as Luciano and Arianna were together, he felt that all was right with the world._ " (Mary Hoffman, _City of Swords_ )

When they had cuddled to their heart’s content, they went straight to the kitchen for coffee and breakfast. Kurt showed Sebastian how to make pancakes, telling Sebastian he needed to be able to fend for himself now that his friends were about to leave.

_It’s going to feel weird, not having Sebastian around. He’s really grown on me._

Sebastian asked lots of questions about Elliot’s party, and Blaine was glad. He hadn’t wanted to ask anything, but had felt a bit apprehensive at the thought of going to a high-profile party where everyone was famous and styled and groomed by professionals and looking down their noses at ordinary people like him. But apparently, it wouldn’t be like that at all. Just an informal waving out the old year and waving in the new with a wide assortment of friends. That sounded a lot nicer than what Blaine had been expecting.

_What are our plans for the day? I really want to try out that tearoom Sebastian told us about …_

So Blaine asked, and Sebastian told Kurt and Blaine to go to Alice’s Tea Cup, by all means, but to make it a date and leave him out of it. When Blaine wanted to protest that they really didn’t mind Sebastian’s company, Sebastian didn’t even let him finish the sentence, and stressed the fact that they’d already spent every day in New York with him and deserved some alone time. He also listed some very tempting romantic activities they could undertake that day.

Lovely as it sounded, Blaine shot Kurt a quick enquiring glance to make sure Kurt was on board with this plan. Blaine felt slightly guilty at the thought of leaving Sebastian alone but giddy with excitement at the same time.

Kurt seemed to share his enthusiasm, if his broad smile was anything to go by.

Sebastian, who had noticed the conflict raging inside of Blaine, assured Blaine that he’d be fine spending time with Elliot, and encouraged Blaine to sweep Kurt off his feet. “You know you want to …”

_Well … That much is true …_

Blaine let himself be convinced by Sebastian, and smiled widely at the thought of having Kurt to himself all day, and going on a date in New York.

_Oh, the possibilities … We’re definitely coming back here one day!_

Blaine showered and dressed in record time, and was so wired up that he couldn’t keep still while waiting for Kurt in the living room.

“I’m sorry, you know,” Sebastian remarked.

Blaine turned to him, raising an eyebrow inquiringly.

“I heard you talk to Kurt last night,” Sebastian admitted. “You told him that he paid more attention to me than to you, and that it made you feel inconsequential and unloved. I’m sorry, man. Kurt has always had a strong nurturing instinct, and he came here and unleashed it on me. That doesn’t mean he cares more about me than about you. In fact, I can guarantee you it doesn’t. The way he looks at you … It’s so intense sometimes that I feel like I’m intruding on a private moment. Even when the two of you aren’t doing anything particularly couply, I can see how his eyes follow you, how your every word and touch makes him light up, and how your love and support keeps him grounded and secure. I know you’re worried because I sent your boyfriend what basically amounts to a love declaration. But … I’m not trying to break you two up, I swear. I wouldn’t. I couldn’t. You’re who makes him happy, and I would never want to jeopardise Kurt’s happiness.”

Sebastian’s sincerity disarmed Blaine completely, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words. Finally, he settled on “Thank you”.

“We’ll be all right,” Blaine assured Sebastian. “We need to communicate more and better. I have a tendency to let little irritations pile up and then burst out spectacularly when a certain incident feels like the last straw. I need to speak up immediately, so that Kurt knows what’s bothering me. And I need to stop doubting Kurt’s affection. He’s not like my parents or brother. Not at all. Though I must admit I’m glad you’re stepping out of the competition for Kurt’s favour. Adam, I can deal with. You, not so much.”

Blaine grinned at Sebastian, who preened half in earnest, half in jest. “Yes, I’m a catch, I know.”

Blaine laughed out loud and bumped Sebastian’s shoulder. “Let’s hope Elliot agrees with you. What are you wearing tonight?”

“Nuh-uh, not telling you,” Sebastian smirked. “I want you guys to get the full effect of it when I come out of my bedroom tonight and wow you.”

Blaine shrugged. “Suit yourself. I’ll only be looking at Kurt anyway.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “The two of you are hopeless. Thank heavens I’ll have Elliot to flirt with.”

Just then, the buzzer for the intercom sounded, and Sebastian beamed and hurried towards it. “Speak of the devil!”

Sebastian let Elliot in, and after a quick greeting, they instantly started to talk shop. Sebastian ran to his bedroom to get the sheet music for his songs, and started telling Elliot about them. Blaine added what adjustments he’d suggested and why. They got so much into it that Blaine only noticed Kurt had reappeared when he greeted Elliot.

_Oh, wow, Kurt looks amazing! He always does, of course, but he’s really stepped it up a notch this time. He looks like he stepped right out of a fashion magazine. Sometimes I really can’t believe he’s my boyfriend. I certainly lucked out._

Kurt asked if Blaine was ready, and of course he was. He had to keep himself from skipping instead of walking to the elevator.

They decided to fall in with Sebastian’s suggestion to go New York’s biggest toy store, where Blaine could only be lured away from the LEGO aisle by the reminder that there was a giant piano out there that was just waiting for Blaine to make sweet music with it.

And boy, did Blaine go to town jumping from key to key! He serenaded Kurt with “Fly Me To The Moon” and “How To Save A Life” and teamed up with a couple of children to play “Chopsticks” and “Heart And Soul”. Afterwards, he was drenched in sweat and completely wiped out, but his smile was so bright it could be seen from space.

Kurt had refused to join him on the piano, citing that he wasn’t much of a pianist, but he clearly enjoyed the songs immensely, laughing out loud at Blaine’s antics. Afterwards, he offered Blaine a lemony wet wipe to freshen up his face a little, and suggested a next activity that was more low-key. On the way to their next destination, Kurt bought Blaine a bottle of water and a Belgian waffle, for Blaine to replenish his energy. Blaine insisted on feeding Kurt a few bites of waffle, though, and that brought out the cutest blush on Kurt’s cheeks.

They had lunch at Alice’s Tea Cup, and the venue proved every bit as lovely as Sebastian had promised. Blaine, whose stomach was growling, proceeded to wolf down an insane amount of sandwiches and scones, telling Kurt that this reminded him of his mother’s tea parties with her charity committee. Even if those parties took place on really hot summer days, his mother made Cooper and Blaine wear a full costume complete with tie or bow tie and paraded them around proudly.

“I was only in it for the food,” Blaine confessed to Kurt. “I mean, my mother went all out for these parties. So many different kinds of cake and ice cream and chocolates … Cooper and I often ate ourselves into a food coma on those afternoons. There wasn’t anything else to do but eat, really. We couldn’t play in those clothes, and the conversation was boring. The committee ladies all adored us, though, so they kept plying us with treats, and it would have been impolite to refuse them, now, wouldn’t it?”

Kurt laughed and agreed. Then he bit his lower lip thoughtfully. “Do you have pictures of Cooper and you in your dapper party getup? I would love to see what you looked like as a child. I bet you were beyond adorable.”

Blaine huffed playfully. “Hey, I will have you know that I am still adorable.”

Kurt grinned and reached over the table to kiss the tip of his nose. “Of course you are.”

Kurt delved into his childhood memories as well, telling Blaine about tea parties he’d held with his mom, and with his dolls. The recollection made Kurt sad, and Blaine did his best to cheer him up again.

They left the tearoom soon after that, and walked to Central Park, where they focused on all the places they’d seen in films.

They went ice-skating at the Wollman rink as in “Serendipity”, though Kurt, very unsure and wobbly on his skates, reminded Blaine more of Bambi, and any attempt of Blaine’s to teach Kurt how to skate somehow ended with both of them falling. After a few times, that stopped being funny and became painful, so they handed their skates back and left the rink, Kurt heaving a sigh of relief.

Blaine jumped onto the railing of the Bow Bridge like Patrick Dempsey did in “Made of Honor”, and Kurt shouted for him to get down just as frantically as Michelle Monaghan did in the film, crossly cuffing Blaine on the back of the head when he was safely back on solid ground and then kissing him sweetly to make up for it.

They sang “That’s How You Know” together, skipping along the footpaths and twirling on the grass, and they burst into an uncontrollable fit of giggles when they noticed the mystified looks of an old couple sitting on a bench nearby.

When they grew tired, they slowed down, ate a hot dog as a snack and walked to the Gapstow Bridge to enjoy the sunset. The rays of the setting sun filtered through the trees and made Kurt’s beautiful face glow with such an ethereal beauty that it stole Blaine’s breath, and he took his camera out of his coat pocket and snapped one photograph after another, until Kurt protested that he wanted some pictures of Blaine too and snatched the camera out of Blaine’s hands to take them.

They strolled back to Sebastian’s place at their leisure, neither of them wanting this wonderful day to be over yet, and when they arrived at the building, Blaine kissed Kurt long and passionately before they went inside.

K&B

Elliot proved to have left a few hours prior to get ready for the party, but Sebastian was in an excellent mood.

Sebastian and Elliot had eaten Chinese take-out for dinner, and Sebastian offered to reheat the left-overs for them - “Is orange chicken still your favourite, Kurt? There are some eggrolls left, too!” - and ended up joining them to finish the food.

“So how was your day?” Blaine asked, and Sebastian gushed about jamming with Elliot and about two or three songs they were going to try as duets. One of those was Sebastian’s, the other two were Elliot’s songs. “And we’re writing a song together as well. It started out as a bit of a joke, but I think it’s got potential.”

Kurt smiled. “It’s nice to see you two get along so well.”

Sebastian grinned and nodded. “Elliot’s really cool. And it doesn’t hurt that he’s so gorgeous.”

“So will you try and angle for a kiss at midnight tonight?” Blaine inquired.

Sebastian hesitated. “Maybe. I don’t know. I don’t want to mess things up again, you know. I don’t even know if he’s interested in me that way. Or if he has a boyfriend.”

“Want me to find out for you?” Kurt offered, a match-making glint in his eyes.

“No!” Sebastian shouted, aghast. “No, please, don’t meddle, okay? If all goes well, we’ll be spending a lot of time together in the coming months, touring around the USA, and I don’t want there to be any awkwardness.”

“Hmm,” Kurt hummed non-committally. “I should go pick out my outfit and get ready. You too, Blaine. Are you coming?”


	106. Party Time

# Chapter 106: Party Time

Kurt claimed the bathroom first, and took quite some time to get ready. Every minute of the wait proved worth it, though, when the door opened at last and Kurt made his appearance. His transformation was such that Blaine gasped and felt his pants tighten.

Gone was Kurt’s usual swept-up hairdo. Kurt’s hair looked as though it had been towel-dried roughly and then left alone, though Blaine suspected that Kurt’s mussed-up hair had been meticulously styled to look so effortlessly sexy.

In addition to that, Kurt had put some eyeliner on, and it made his eyes pop like never before. They looked bigger and bluer, and their magnetism and seeming innocence enticed Blaine to come closer, and then closer still. To reel Kurt in and never let him go.

Kurt laughed at Blaine’s stupefied expression. “I take it you like what you see?”

Blaine was still struck dumb, but managed to nod, raking his eyes over what Kurt was wearing.

_Wow! Are those leather pants? That is SO hot! Ugh, the people at Elliot’s party will be all over Kurt. I wish we could just stay in tonight. I can think of a few ways to keep Kurt happy and distracted …_

The black leather pants hugged Kurt’s legs and other assets in a way that was positively sinful. The white shirt Kurt wore with it was practically sheer, and clung to Kurt’s shoulders and chest distractingly. Over the shirt went a dark grey (faded black?) denim vest with metal studs.

The overall effect was stunning. Blaine’s mouth went dry and he had to bite down a possessive growl.

_I’m going to stick to Kurt like Velcro tonight. I don’t want the other party-goers to try anything. He’s MINE, and they’ll just have to BACK OFF if they know what’s good for them._

Kurt circled Blaine’s waist and kissed him deeply. Then he drawled: “Your turn to get ready, baby,” and slapped Blaine on the butt.

The sting of that slap - Kurt certainly hadn’t held back - was just what Blaine needed to snap out of his stupor and into action.

_What can I put on to look at least half as good as Kurt? Now that will be a challenge …_

K&B

Half an hour later, all three of them were on their way to Elliot’s.

Sebastian had whistled low and deep when Kurt and Blaine had stepped into the living room in their New Year’s Eve finery, and had taken his time ogling them both. Blaine took that to mean that he wasn’t looking too bad either, even if he couldn’t measure up to Kurt’s mesmerising presence.

Sebastian had chosen black skin-tight jeans this time, and paired it with a white shirt, a dark red skinny tie, and his leather jacket. He was holding a bottle of champagne he’d taken along as a gift for Elliot, and he seemed a bit nervous, walking faster than usual and not really joining in the conversation.

When they’d arrived and Kurt was greeting Elliot and complimenting him on the way he had decorated his loft, Sebastian took Blaine aside and hissed: “Kurt hasn’t said anything to Elliot, has he?”

Blaine raised an eyebrow. “Not as far as I know.”

Sebastian’s tense shoulders sagged a bit. “Good.”

Blaine bumped his shoulder. “Hey… I’m pretty sure Elliot likes you too. You’re a catch, remember?”

Sebastian let out a short burst of laughter and bumped back. “Thanks.”

“Hey Blaine, Bas, glad you could make it!” Elliot grinned.

“Hey man,” Blaine smiled back. “Thanks for the invite.”

“Yeah, thanks for having us,” Sebastian added. He held out the champagne bottle. “This is for you.”

Elliot blinked in surprise, and then accepted the gift. “Oh, man, you shouldn’t have.”

Sebastian smirked at him. “You know me, Mr Thoughtful and all that.”

Kurt snorted, and Sebastian was quick to elbow him and hiss: “Hey, don’t blow my cover!”

Blaine and Elliot chuckled, and Sebastian shrugged. “Well, it was worth the try.”

They went inside, where the party was already in full swing. About a dozen people were dancing under a disco ball. The other guests were sitting or standing in twos or threes, sipping brightly coloured drinks and chatting. On one of the sofas sat a man who looked so much like Elliot that it was uncanny. He had no tattoos, no piercings and no highlights in his hair and he clearly was younger than Elliot, but other than that, they might have been twins.

“Who’s your doppelgänger over there?” Blaine asked.

Elliot frowned at him, mystified, and followed Blaine’s line of sight. His frown cleared and he laughed. “Oh … That’s my younger brother, Thomas. He’s in his last year at NYU School of Medicine. Hey, Thomas, come and meet Kurt’s boyfriend and another friend of his!”

Thomas shook hands with Blaine and Sebastian and gave them a friendly smile. “Can I get you something to drink? Is Kurt still a green apple martini kind of guy?”

Blaine blinked, a bit thrown by the question. When they’d gone to the karaoke bar, Kurt had only drunk beer, as far as Blaine knew. Other than that, the only times they’d gone out was to Tina’s Halloween party, where Blaine had been too busy staring into Kurt’s eyes to notice what he was drinking, to Naomi’s wedding, where they had drunk champagne, and to Finn’s bro night, where once again, they had drunk beer.

_There’s so much I still don’t know about Kurt …_

Behind him, a cheery voice slurred: “Don’t worry about it, Tommy Boy, I got my man Kurt covered.”

Blaine turned around and felt his stomach plummet. Adam stood before him, his arm slung casually around Kurt’s waist and grinning like the cat that got the cream. He had indeed procured a drink for Kurt, who was now sipping a light-green concoction and smiling appreciatively.

Blaine suppressed the caveman urge to rip Adam’s arm off and whisk Kurt away from him.

_Adam’s not a real threat, remember? Kurt said he’d never been interested in him that way._

Still, Blaine ground his teeth behind his polite smile and started plotting how he could take Adam out of the equation in a more civilised way.

“Hey, don’t call me that!” Thomas protested, scowling.

Adam laughed and shrugged. “Still as stuffy as ever, aren’t you?”

Thomas glared at Adam, not dignifying his remark with an answer, and turned back to Blaine and Sebastian. “So what can I get you both?”

“Beer please,” Blaine answered, and Sebastian nodded. “Make that two beers. Thanks, man.”

Thomas smiled and winked at them. “Coming right up!”

Thomas disappeared, weaving through the crowd to get them their drinks, and a short silence fell. Kurt was still enjoying his cocktail one small sip at a time and paying no attention to anything else. Sebastian was subtly checking out Elliot, who’d left to answer the door for two more invitees. And Adam was just grinning smugly at Blaine, who simmered silently and tried not to let his annoyance show.

“We should do another karaoke night soon,” Adam hinted.

“Next time we come to New York perhaps,” Blaine answered. “We’re leaving the day after tomorrow, I don’t think we’ll have time to cram in another karaoke night during this visit.”

Adam’s face fell. “You’re leaving so soon?”

Blaine nodded. “Well, we did stay for a week already. We still have the move to prepare for, remember? And Kurt and I have jobs to get back to, you know.”

“Right …” Adam drawled. “Selling clothes and teaching children. How … interesting.”

Kurt, who up until then had tuned out of the conversation, straightened his stance and slapped Adam’s arm away, giving him an ice-cold glare. “At least our professions are useful.”

“Amen to that,” Thomas chipped in, handing Sebastian and Blaine their beers.


	107. New Year's Eve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for a little bit of smut ...

# Chapter 107: New Year’s Eve

“ _“There should be friendship vows. Did you ever think that? When you get married, you promise all that stuff - in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer... But you do that when you're friends, too, don't you? The thick and thin stuff.” (_ Elizabeth Noble _, When You Were Mine)_

When they went inside, Elliot was no longer there. Sebastian was smiling hugely, though, so the day must have gone well.

_I wonder … Could those two end up together? Elliot would actually be quite perfect for Seb, now that I think about it …_

Blaine seemed to be thinking along those same lines, asking Seb if he planned on making a move during the New Year’s Eve party.

Kurt was shocked but immensely pleased to hear that Seb, for once, wasn’t planning on a quick and easy seduction. Seb seemed hesitant and unsure, and very reluctant to mess up his budding friendship with Elliot. Kurt offered to ask Elliot how he felt about Seb, but Seb looked horrified at the suggestion, and begged him not to meddle.

_Hmm, interesting … We’ll see. I still need to ask Elliot about playing Devon, and about keeping an eye on Seb once Blaine and I are back in Ohio. Maybe Elliot will need no prompting to talk about his feelings. Maybe some gentle ribbing about him roping Seb into touring with him …_

Out loud, Kurt announced that it was time for them to get ready for the party, and slipped into the guest bathroom with his chosen outfit.

_Let’s make this a party to remember …_

With some difficulty, Kurt squeezed into the leather pants. He left his undershirt off, providing a tantalising view of his chest beneath his see-through shirt. Then he styled his hair and put eyeliner on, and smiled at his reflection, satisfied.

_I can’t wait to see Blaine’s reaction!_

Blaine did not disappoint. His eyes widened and darkened instantly as he took in Kurt’s appearance, which left him speechless.

Kurt laughed and let Blaine look his fill. Then he pulled Blaine flush against him and kissed him until he felt Blaine melt against him. He really wanted to throw Blaine onto the bed and finish what he started, but he knew that he’d spent quite some time getting ready and that Sebastian was eager to go to Elliot’s party and would have no qualms bursting into their room to tell them to hurry up if they took much longer. So he sent Blaine to primp and dress himself up, and if his hand slipped momentarily and slapped Blaine’s butt soundly, well, he blamed its irresistible perkiness for that.

When Blaine reappeared, it was clear to see that he taken his cue from Kurt. His curls were wild and glossy, he hadn’t shaved but left his stubble and he’d put a fine black line around his eyes. He was wearing a burgundy shirt with a buttery soft zip-up jacket in white suede leather and dark blue skin-tight jeans.

Blaine looked so gorgeous that Kurt’s brain short-circuited and made him pin Blaine against the nearest wall and attack his neck until he was sporting quite an impressive hickey.

_There, now people will know to stay away from him. I know he looks irresistible, but he’s MINE!_

Blaine’s knees suddenly buckled and he sagged against Kurt, who caught him and carried him bridal-style to the bed and then tiptoed to the bedroom door to lock it, just in case Seb got impatient and came to fetch them.

“Can you keep very silent?” Kurt whispered.

Blaine nodded, his eyes dark and hungry.

“I was thinking we could sixty-nine,” Kurt suggested, “since we have to make it quick.”

Blaine’s eyes widened infinitesimally, and then he grinned enthusiastically and unbuttoned Kurt’s fly.

They arranged themselves on the bed, pants half off, and Blaine started before Kurt, who bit down a moan.

_How will I ever manage to blow Blaine at the same time as he is blowing me? I can’t really focus when I’m in the throes of ecstasy … I hope I don’t accidentally bite him when I come. How could I ever have thought this was a good idea?_

However, Blaine was evidently quite worked up already. It didn’t take long for him to reach his climax, and after that, Blaine lazily continued his ministrations until Kurt tumbled over the edge as well, biting into his hand to muffle a shout.

When they had tucked themselves back into their pants and checked their outfits and hair, they walked to the living room hand in hand, grinning widely.

Sebastian was waiting for them and catcalled when he saw them. He let his eyes roam over them both at his leisure, humming in appreciation, and quirked an eyebrow at Kurt when he noticed Blaine’s hickey, but thankfully refrained from commenting.

They went to Elliot’s place on foot, Kurt’s feet protesting loudly that they had already done more than their duty. Blaine had wrapped his arm snugly around Kurt’s waist, and was telling Kurt about last year’s New Year’s Eve, which he had spent which Cooper. It must not have been a very pleasant experience at the time, but it sure made for an entertaining story.

Blaine had flown to LA to be with his brother, only to find that Cooper had moved without informing him of that fact or warning him that the new owner of the house was rather paranoid and kept intruders out by dousing them in ice water and sending vicious dogs after them if they so much as dared to use the intercom.

Then, when he’d called Cooper and found his way to his brother’s new place, Cooper proved to have company of the female variety, and pretended to be Italian, speaking broken English with an atrocious fake accent, and interspersing that with random Italian words and phrases that weren’t relevant to the conversation in the least.

Blaine, however, had taken Italian as his language elective at Dalton, and to pay Cooper back for the nasty surprise he’d had at Cooper’s former house, he refused to speak a word of English for the rest of the day, conversing with his brother and his date in fluent Italian and charming the girl so completely that she paid no more attention to Cooper.

Kurt laughed. “I bet Cooper didn’t like that one bit!”

“She was an excellent dancer, by the way,” Blaine remarked. “Brittany reminds me a bit of her.”

They arrived at Elliot’s place, and Kurt took his time admiring the loft and the festive decorations, giving Sebastian, who was plainly jittery with nerves, a moment to compose himself. He saw Seb talking to Blaine, and that seemed to help at least a little.

Kurt kept a hawk’s eye on Elliot when he greeted Blaine and Seb.

_Bas? Elliot calls him ‘Bas’? Huh … I’m pretty sure Elliot’s interested, too. Still, I’ll talk to him later._

Seb held out the gift he’d brought, and Elliot was rather taken aback, but seemed to appreciate it all the same.

They looked around, Kurt nodding politely at a few people he recognised from his college days, and Blaine noticed Elliot’s brother and mentioned that they looked like twins.

Elliot laughed, and Kurt understood his amusement - Elliot and his brother Thomas weren’t a bit alike, except perhaps in that they were both friendly, easy-going and very good-looking.

Elliot waved his brother over and introduced Blaine and Seb to him. Thomas gave them both a thorough once-over and an appreciative smile.

_Nuh-uh, don’t even think about it! In case that hickey wasn’t clear enough: Blaine is mine! And I’m pretty sure Seb is Elliot’s now, so you’re out of luck, Baby Gilbert …_

Right at that moment, Kurt was distracted by Adam, who’d sidled up to him and offered him a green apple martini and a smile. Kurt accepted the drink and smiled back easily.

Kurt heard Thomas inquire what the others wanted to drink, and if Kurt still preferred green apple martinis. Blaine clearly had no idea what to answer to that, and his face fell.

_Oh baby, you can’t know all there is to know about me after just two months … You’ll become an expert on all things Kurt Hummel soon enough …_

Adam piped up then to announce he’d already brought Kurt a drink, clearly taking pleasure in having the upper hand for once, and boldly snaking his arm around Kurt’s waist. Kurt froze and felt like slipping away from Adam, only that wouldn’t be very polite, and in fact it was no more than a friendly gesture. Still, Kurt didn’t like it. He concentrated on sipping his drink and hoped that Adam would get lost sooner rather than later.

Adam was quite drunk already, and proceeded to offend Thomas straightaway, and then hinted that he would like a repeat of their karaoke night.

Blaine politely but firmly brushed Adam off, telling him they were set to leave soon, because they still had the move to arrange and then their work to get back to.

Adam took that badly, and in his anger insulted both Kurt’s and Blaine’s livelihoods.

Kurt bristled, forcefully distanced himself from Adam and levelled a scathing retort at him, which made Adam scowl.

Adam launched into a livid tirade, but Sebastian stopped him cold with a hand on his arm and the mild remark: “I wouldn’t go there, if I were you, Sour Grapes!”

Adam glared at him and then stomped off to the bar, to go soothe his wounded pride with more alcohol.

Kurt let out a relieved sigh. “Thanks, Seb!”

“How did you ever become friends with someone like that?” Sebastian asked. He sounded genuinely curious.

“He was very different during our college days,” Kurt explained. “Always really nice.”

“In the hopes of getting into your pants,” Sebastian nodded. “I understand.”

“Who’s getting into Kurt’s pants?” inquired Elliot, who’d joined them again. Kurt blushed, and Seb and Blaine smirked.

“That would be me,” Blaine announced proudly, who had guzzled down his beer in one go and was clearly feeling the effects of it already.

“He gets into my pants, too, of course,” Blaine added as an afterthought, smiling hugely, and wiggling his tush in demonstration. Kurt saw Seb bite his lip to keep from laughing, and Elliot’s eyes glimmered with amusement as well.

“Blaine!” hissed Kurt, his blush deepening. “Not so loud!”

“What, are you - _burp_ \- embarrassed by me?” Blaine asked belligerently.

“What? Blaine, no, of course not!” Kurt exclaimed. “Only, don’t … Don’t parade our sex life like that, please. That makes me feel uncomfortable.”

“To be fair, Kurt,” Sebastian interjected, “Blaine hasn’t told us anything juicy yet. We kind of assumed you had sex, you know.”

Kurt probably resembled a tomato by now, but he managed to hum non-committally.

“See?” Blaine crowed triumphantly. “No harm done!”

Blaine wound his arms around Kurt and started kissing behind his ear, where he knew Kurt was insanely sensitive.

_Thank heavens we relieved the tension before we got here … Still, some proactivity is required if I don’t want to melt into a puddle and spontaneously combust with two of my friends standing right next to us._

Kurt leaned away a little, looked Blaine straight into the eye and asked desperately: “Do you want to dance?”

Blaine agreed happily, and they danced for a couple of songs. Then Blaine pronounced himself thirsty and went to the bar to fetch them both drinks.

“Beer for me too, please,” Kurt requested.

Kurt sought out Elliot, who was talking to a pretty blonde girl. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

“Sure,” Elliot agreed, and they went to sit on a sofa. “Having fun?”

“I am,” Kurt smiled. “But I wanted to ask you two things.”

Elliot raised his eyebrows. “I’m listening.”

“Please will you play Devon in my TV series?” Kurt pleaded. “Seeing as you convinced my other star to join you and therefore made him unavailable for filming until summer, you kind of owe me, don’t you think? Plus, it will be a great way for the two of you to spend more time together. And we’d film it in Ohio, so you’d get to hang out with Blaine and me, too.”

“But Blaine did so well!” Elliot protested.

Kurt nodded. “He did well, absolutely. You know as well as I know, though, that he doesn’t really want this. He did it to please me. He has no interest in becoming an actor. I can’t have him take on a demanding role just because it would make me happy.”

“But you have no problems with asking me,” Elliot pointed out.

Kurt chewed on his lip, and then decided to just come out and say it. “Okay, I’m probably overstepping by saying this, but if I’m not mistaken, you and Seb both like each other. A lot. And I think you invited him to go touring with you because you wanted to see if there was potential there. So actually, what I’m offering you is an opportunity to spend a lot more time in Seb’s company, and to discover another side of him than the music. His acting is phenomenal. I know you were impressed with how he played Charles, but you ain’t seen nothing yet, I can tell you. If Seb put his mind to it, he’d win every film award in existence. He’s an exceptional actor, truly, he is, and it’s an incomparable privilege to get to experience that up close.”

“So the fact that I’m a mediocre Devon compared to Blaine’s is irrelevant?” Elliot inquired.

“You’re not mediocre!” Kurt insisted. “Blaine just resembles the character much more than you do, which is why I’m going to rewrite the TV Devon to be more like you. There are always differences between a book character and its TV or film counterpart. That’s normal. What’s important is that the characters portrayed are believable, relatable and lovable, and you will be, make no mistake about that. Oh, and when there’s romance on screen, there has to be real chemistry. Also not a problem, the way sparks fly around the two of you. So … Are you in?”

Elliot stared at the floor for a long moment. Then he raised his head slowly and nodded. “I’m in.”

Kurt grinned as widely as his lips would stretch. “Shake on it!”

They shook hands solemnly.

“Yay!” Blaine crowed in victory, appearing behind Kurt, the two beers he’d gone to fetch sloshing in his hands as he raised them in a toast towards Elliot. “Thanks, man, I owe you one!”

Blaine handed one of the beers to Kurt and drank deeply from the other.

“Yes, you do, and I was getting to that, actually,” Elliot grinned. “My condition is that you come to every concert we’ll be doing in the Ohio state area, and sing with us, on stage. We sound good together, don’t we? And it would be fun. What do you say?”

Blaine gave Elliot a clumsy fist-bump. “I say yes! Awesome, man!”

“Okay,” Kurt agreed more sedately. “We’ll be there.”

“Yay!” Blaine yelled again, and gave Kurt a celebratory kiss on the mouth that landed slightly off-centre.

“So what was the second thing you wanted to ask me?” Elliot wanted to know.

Kurt looked around to locate Seb in the room, but couldn’t find him anywhere.

_Maybe he’s in the bathroom? Anyway, better make this quick._

“Look after Seb for me, will you?” Kurt asked softly. “You’re on your way to becoming friends, and I’m so glad. I’ll feel better about going back to Ohio if you promise me you’ll add Seb to your circle of friends and include him whenever you have pizza and beer evenings or World of Warcraft marathons or poker nights or jamming sessions or whatever.”

Elliot grinned easily. “One step ahead of you, man. I already invited him over for an Inspector Lewis bingefest this weekend. He’s never seen Inspector Lewis, can you believe it?”

Kurt exhaled in relief. “Never? Imagine that!”


	108. A Kiss At Midnight

# Chapter 108: A Kiss At Midnight

“ _"But I'll tell you something else, too. Something I've learned, the hard way. I guess"—Gram laughed a little—"I'm the kind of person who has to learn things the hard way. You've got to hold on. Hold on to people. They can get away from you. It's not always going to be fun, but if you don't—hold on—then you lose them." (_ Cynthia Voigt _, Dicey’s Song)_

Kurt took a swig of beer and watched Elliot dance with Blaine and Sebastian. He’d chosen not to join them this time because his feet were killing him, and he was resting them a bit.

_These shoes are fabulous, but I’m sure they’ve given me blisters by now. My heels feel like they’re burning._

Kurt saw Blaine laugh uproariously at something Sebastian told him, his whole body shaking with merriment. And then a Katy Perry song came up, and Blaine whooped for joy and danced sloppily but enthusiastically to the beat, singing along loudly. Thomas came up behind Blaine and moved along with him, from a respectful distance at first but moving gradually closer, until he was full-on grinding against Blaine.

That made Kurt see red. Yes, Thomas was obviously quite drunk already, just like Blaine, but that was no excuse. Blaine had been introduced to Thomas as Kurt’s boyfriend and was therefore supposed to be off-limits.

Kurt hoped that either Sebastian or Elliot would notice what was going on right next to them, but they were lost in their own little world, laughing and talking and gesturing and occasionally dancing, and paying no attention whatsoever to anyone else.

_Okay, that’s it! I’m not watching this any longer without doing something about it. Man up, Hummel, and take care of the blisters tomorrow!_

Kurt got up and winced, but bit through the pain to head to his boyfriend.

Blaine’s eyes widened comically when he saw Kurt approach. “Are there two Kurts tonight as well, like there are two Elliots? You’re behind me, dancing!”

Kurt shook his head grimly. “No, sweetie, I’m not. Turn around.”

Blaine obediently turned, and his eyes widened impossibly further. “Oh, it’s the other Elliot. I thought it was you.”

Kurt let a reluctant smile steal over his face. “I believe you, sweetheart.”

Then Kurt levelled a scorching glare at Thomas, who visibly cowered under the onslaught. “I know Blaine is hot, but he’s taken, and I refuse to share! Go find someone else to get your rocks off with!”

Thomas raised his hands in what was clearly supposed to be a placating gesture, and babbled: “Okay, okay, I’m sorry, I’m going, I meant no harm, I swear.”

Thomas disappeared, and Blaine smiled at Kurt happily. “Dance with me?”

Kurt put a finger through one of Blaine’s belt loops and drew him closer, threading one hand through Blaine’s curls at the nape of his neck, and putting his other hand in Blaine’s back pocket, squeezing his ass lightly. Blaine moaned, and his eyes fluttered shut.

“You like that, do you?” Kurt whispered.

Blaine shivered and nodded. “So, so much.”

“Shall I tell you what I want to do to you when we get back to our bedroom after the party?” Kurt continued.

Blaine exhaled shakily. “Yes … Yes, tell me. Please.”

But just then, the countdown to the new year began, and they both joined in.

Ten … Nine …

Kurt saw Adam sitting at the bar, scowling mightily at the two of them and throwing back a glass of what looked like whiskey, though he was plastered already.

Eight … Seven …

Thomas was at the other end of the room by now, chatting up a leggy brunette.

Six … Five …

A drunken girl thought it a good idea to start a strip tease, and since she wasn’t really wearing much, she was already down to her panties and bra.

_Wow, that takes me back to the New Directions parties … Brittany is just like that when she’s drunk!_

Four … Three …

Kurt glanced over at Seb and Elliot, who were still standing close together. They were no longer talking or dancing, but were looking at each other furtively, clearly wondering if it would be okay to kiss at midnight.

_Go for it, guys!_

Two … One … Happy New Year!

Kurt dipped Blaine low and kissed him with abandon, until he really had to let go to catch his breath. He straightened the both of them up again, and sneaked a glance at Elliot and Sebastian.

“Yes!” Kurt hissed exultantly when he saw that the two had chanced a kiss and were still lip-locked.

“What?” Blaine asked, furrowing his brow.

“Look,” Kurt pointed, and Blaine’s face lit up beautifully when he noticed their friends kissing.

“Oh, I’m so glad,” Blaine enthused. “I always thought they’d be great together.”

“Me too,” Kurt grinned. “And you know what this means … No more threesome talk from Sebastian!”

Blaine snorted. “That’s what you think. Maybe he’ll start bringing up foursomes now.”

Kurt cocked his head to the side. “Hmm, well, yes, it’s Sebastian. You may be right.”

They looked at each other, and that was all it took for them to start laughing so hard they had to hold onto each other so as not to fall.

When Kurt finally caught his breath, he saw Seb and Elliot approaching, and that set him off again.

“What’s so funny?” Sebastian inquired.

“Foursomes,” Blaine blurted out. Kurt elbowed him in the ribs and hissed, “Don’t give him any ideas.”

That sparked a new bout of hilarity in Blaine, and Sebastian raised his eyebrows, looking amused and intrigued. “Well, well, Kurt … I never thought I’d see the day you’d consider a foursome.”

Kurt gasped. “What? I’m not considering anything of the kind!”

Blaine let out another loud peal of laughter, and Elliot and Sebastian joined in too.

“I love it … when something I say … offends you,” Sebastian gasped out between guffaws. “Your face … is priceless.”

“Oh, go back to kissing Elliot and stop making fun of me,” Kurt snapped.

Blaine snaked his arm around Kurt’s waist, still giggling too uncontrollably to get a full sentence out in one go. “What Mr Grumpy here … is trying to say … is that we’re happy … for the both of you.”

Sebastian and Elliot looked at each other and exchanged a slow smile.

“We are,” Kurt agreed, instantly snapping out of his sulk and reeling Blaine in closer. “I warn you, though. Both of you are very dear friends of mine, so no breaking each other’s hearts or you’ll have me to answer to, you understand?”

Sebastian let out a dry chuckle. “That was mainly directed at me, I take it.”

Kurt fixed him with a penetrating glare, but Sebastian didn’t look away nor did he laugh it off. “Kurt… I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my life. I know that, and there isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not sorry about all those wrong decisions. But I swear I’m not that guy anymore. I’ve changed. I want to build up my life again from scratch and do it right this time around. And maybe this is not an ideal time for me to start a relationship, with so many issues I still have to sort through, but…”

Sebastian raked a hand through his hair nervously and bit his lip, looking at Kurt pleadingly. After a moment, he continued in a much quieter voice, which trembled a little. “I really like Elliot, okay? And for some reason, he likes me too, baggage and all. So I want to try. See where this goes. I’ve never had a boyfriend before, and maybe I won’t be any good at it, but give me a chance, all right? This isn’t about a quick fuck, I promise you it’s not.”

Elliot stroked Sebastian’s back comfortingly, and it wasn’t lost on Kurt how that small gesture instantly made Seb relax.

_They really are good for each other. And Seb is serious about Elliot, I can tell._

“I believe you,” Kurt stated. “And now I want to hug you both.”

Seb and Elliot beamed and stepped closer, and Blaine jumped up and down eagerly and yelled: “Group hug!”

After the hug, Blaine asked Seb conversationally: “So are you staying here tonight? ‘Cause if you do, we’re going to need the key to your apartment.”

Seb looked taken aback. “Huh? No. No, I’m coming home with you guys. Wanna head home now?”

Blaine sought Kurt’s eyes and quirked an eyebrow inquiringly. Kurt nodded. “Yes. Yes, let’s go.”

Seb turned to Elliot and whispered: “Come by tomorrow?”

“Sure,” Elliot agreed. “Might be rather late, though. Don’t know how long this party will go on for. I’ll text you.”

“Okay,” Seb grinned. “Come here, you.”

Seb kissed Elliot thoroughly, ignoring Kurt and Blaine standing right next to them. Kurt rolled his eyes but smiled indulgently, and Blaine flat-out beamed.

With an obscene smacking sound, Elliot and Seb separated at last, and they both looked a bit dazed but happy.

“I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” Elliot promised. “Happy New Year!”

“Happy New Year,” Kurt and Blaine chorused, and Seb whispered something in Elliot’s ear and gave him another quick kiss on the mouth.

Then Elliot turned around to go mingle with his other guests, and Seb sighed and announced: “Well, we’re off. Let’s go!”


	109. Sour Grapes and Limp Noodles

# Chapter 109: Sour Grapes and Limp Noodles

 _"She liked him. She liked the feeling of liking him. She felt light and smiley and too full of excitement to think of anything else." (_ Freya North _, Chances)_

Adam’s eyes flashed, and he started yelling that at least he was making a name for himself and that his acting would be remembered long after he was gone.

_Huh… If it’s fame you’re after, I’m not sure Broadway will get you there … And from what I’ve seen so far, your singing is far from exceptional and you’re too full of yourself to really lose yourself in a character you play. So I doubt you’ll be remembered. You’re too mediocre for that. And Kurt is far more famous than you already. If only you knew, you’d pipe another tune…_

Sebastian seemed to channel Blaine’s thoughts and firmly cut off Adam’s wild rant, calling him Sour Grapes.

_Really? Is this still jealousy because Kurt’s with me now?_

Adam shut up, but the white-hot fury radiating from him was so palpable that Blaine took on a firmer stance just in case this became a fist-fight. It didn’t, though. Adam looked daggers at Sebastian, but turned tail and headed straight to the bar to drown his sorrows.

Kurt visibly relaxed when Adam left, and thanked Sebastian. Clearly, Blaine hadn’t been the only one to think this could turn ugly.

Sebastian watched Adam go, disgust plain on his face, and asked how on earth Kurt had ever become friends with such a jerk. Blaine stifled a chuckle - Sebastian had a lovely way of saying out loud what Blaine only ever dared to think.

Kurt, sounding apologetic and rather shocked by Adam’s latest temper tantrum, explained that Adam used to be a lot nicer. Sebastian nodded knowingly, and pronounced it tactic behaviour to seduce Kurt.

_You’re probably right. I guess he can be smarmy enough when he thinks it’s worth his while._

The topic seemed to embarrass Kurt, who blushed and fidgeted, and finally asked Blaine to dance to escape any further questioning. Blaine easily fell in with that plan. He enjoyed having Kurt gyrating flush against him, running his hands all over Blaine’s back and cheekily kneading his ass, and Blaine readily returned the favour, winking provocatively at Adam when he saw him staring at them.

As much fun as the dancing was, it made Blaine sweat profusely, and in no time, his tongue stuck to his palate because his mouth was so dry. “I need a drink. I’m parched! Can I get you another drink, too, love?”

Kurt requested a beer, and went to sit with Elliot, for what seemed to be a serious conversation. Probably about Sebastian then.

_He’s not going to spill the beans about Seb liking Elliot, is he? He promised not to meddle!_

Blaine ignored Adam, who was sitting at the bar, glowering, an impressive number of empty shot glasses in front of him and a tumbler of whiskey in his hand. Instead, Blaine waited for the bartender to notice him and admired his surroundings.

_It’s so cool that Elliot has a real bar right smack in the middle of his living room. A true bachelor’s pad, this. An immense living room with a bar and a pool table and a foosball table and a huge flat-screen television and a state-of-the-art DJ set, but a kitchen that’s as basic as it gets. Probably not much in the fridge or the cupboards, either. I guess Sebastian isn’t the only one in need of cooking lessons. We’ll put it on the programme for this summer._

The bartender was so busy that he didn’t seem to notice Blaine, so he chanced a discreet wave, but instantly regretted that when it attracted Adam’s attention instead of the bartender’s.

“Kurt has you well-trained,” Adam observed cuttingly. “Quite the obedient little lapdog, aren’t you? Fetching and carrying? Well, I’ll be here when he grows tired of you and starts looking for a real man instead of a little boy kept on a leash.”

Blaine didn’t let on he’d heard Adam’s remarks, though he was gritting his teeth.

_A real man, huh? You may be taller and older than I am, but in maturity level, I’m still miles ahead of you. Sour Grapes is the right epithet for you._

Fortunately, the bartender was looking Blaine’s way now, and as soon as Blaine had scored two beers, he hurried back to Kurt.

When Blaine got within earshot, he found that he had been wrong in his assumption about the conversation topic. Elliot and Kurt weren’t talking about Sebastian at all. They were actually discussing the TV series, and Elliot playing Devon. Kurt pleaded his case well, and Elliot ended up agreeing.

_Yes! Oh, that’s a relief! And it’s great that we’ll get to spend a lot more time with Seb and Elliot. I like them._

Elliot tacked a condition onto his commitment to the role. He made Blaine and Kurt promise to come to his Ohio concerts and sing with him and Seb. That sounded absolutely awesome, so Blaine clinched the deal with a fist-bump and a hearty yes. Kurt gave his word, too, and that made Blaine so happy he gathered Kurt into his arms for a kiss.

_That is going to be so much fun! I can’t wait!_

The conversation wasn’t over yet, however. Kurt asked Elliot to take Sebastian under his wing and make sure he had company and was okay.

As it turned out, Kurt’s request was redundant. Elliot had already made plans with Sebastian for the coming weekend, and when he mentioned that, Kurt’s face lit up beautifully. Blaine was glad, too. He knew that Kurt would sleep a lot better at night knowing that Sebastian wasn’t alone.

Sebastian seemed to be making other friends at the party. Earlier on, Blaine had seen Seb talking and laughing with Elliot’s manager Stephanie, and she’d introduced him to several others he’d been having an enthusiastic conversation with - band members of Elliot’s?

Now, however, Sebastian came to join Kurt and Elliot on the sofa, remarking that he was having a great time, and would someone please come and dance with him?

Kurt grimaced and declined, pleading a case of weary feet and blisters. Elliot and Blaine, however, accepted the invitation with alacrity, and had fun dancing with Sebastian, who was a wonderful dancer and in such good spirits that his funny stories and witty running commentary had Blaine and Elliot in stitches more often than not.

Blaine lost himself in the music, and felt Kurt slip in behind him and move along with him to the beat. That felt absolutely lovely, and Blaine grinned happily, moving a little closer and thinking of pursuing this when they got back to Sebastian’s apartment.

And then Blaine saw Kurt walk up to him, and his jaw dropped.

_Wait, what? Kurt is dancing behind me, isn’t he? Are there two Kurts now? Exactly how much have I been drinking?_

Kurt, his face curiously void of emotion, explained that Blaine had actually been dancing with someone else, and made Blaine turn around.

_Oh. It wasn’t Kurt? Oh. I thought it was, though. Is Kurt mad at me now?_

Kurt was mad, livid even, but not at Blaine, thankfully. Kurt shooed off Blaine’s dancing partner with a flea in his ear and took his place, grabbing Blaine’s neck and ass in a display of possessiveness that Blaine secretly thrilled to, and whispering filthy things in Blaine’s ear that left him dizzy with how fast his blood rushed south.

If Kurt had kept that up, Blaine would certainly have come in his pants on the spot, but thankfully, it was almost midnight, and all around them, people started counting down, so Kurt and Blaine did, too.

At midnight, everyone let out a cheer, and Kurt took Blaine off guard, tilting him off-balance and dipping him until his head almost hit the floor to kiss him. Kurt probably meant for the move to look Hollywood-worthy, but Blaine’s wild and undignified arm-flapping jinxed that. Blaine had to give Kurt credit for not dropping him, though, even when the prolonged and definitely dirty kiss turned Blaine as limp as a cooked noodle.

At long last, Kurt righted Blaine up again, grinning triumphantly and hissing “Yes!”

That seemed so incongruous that Blaine asked for an explanation, and then his brow cleared and he smiled widely in delight when Kurt pointed him to Elliot and Sebastian kissing.

_Oh, yes! I thought this would happen eventually, and I’m glad it’s sooner rather than later. Elliot is just the positive influence Sebastian needs in his life right now. He’ll spur on Sebastian to perform, to write new and happier songs, to play the best Charles he possibly could… Oh, this makes me so happy!_

Blaine gushed to Kurt about how great their friends were together. Kurt agreed and seemed equally giddy with joy, which led to a silly conversation that cracked them both up. Somehow, Blaine just couldn’t stop laughing, and when Elliot and Sebastian came to chat with them and Sebastian picked in on the topic seamlessly, Blaine let out another shout of merriment and then held on to his stomach helplessly, because ow, that was starting to hurt.

When Blaine finally calmed down enough to speak, he congratulated Sebastian and Elliot, and Kurt took the opportunity to warn them both not to hurt each other or he’d have their hide. Elliot just chuckled good-naturedly, but Sebastian went very serious and emotional and assured Kurt it wasn’t like before, and that he meant to make this relationship succeed. Elliot didn’t speak, but let Sebastian lean into him and stroked his back, his eyes soft and his smile warm.

_Yes, Elliot’s the right match for Sebastian._

Apparently, Kurt had come to the same conclusion. His voice cracked a bit when he told Sebastian he believed him, and demanded a group hug.

_Yay, cuddles!_

Blaine stepped away from the hug with a huge smile stretching from ear to ear.

_Will Sebastian want to stay here tonight? If he does, we can be as loud as we want to when we get back to the apartment…_

As soon as that new thought occurred to him, he immediately blurted it out, but Sebastian shook his head and announced he’d be coming home with Kurt and Blaine.

_Oh… Ah well, by tomorrow evening, we’ll be back in Ohio. Better enjoy Sebastian’s company while we have it._


	110. Blisters and Bacon

# Chapter 110: Blisters and Bacon

 _"That's the beauty about love. It's not about give-and-take - it's about feeling safe in one's needs - wanting to be looked after as much as wanting to look after." (_ Freya North _, Chances)_

They walked back to the Lucerne slowly and silently. Sebastian was whistling “For Auld Lang Syne”, his hands in his pockets and his head in the clouds. Kurt was clearly limping and wincing ever so often.

“Are you okay?” Blaine asked softly, steadying Kurt with an arm around his middle.

“It’s these shoes,” Kurt grumbled. “I should have stuck to a more comfortable pair, especially after having walked all day. They’ve given me blisters, which are throbbing like mad. Ow. It feels like my heels have been skinned.”

“We’re nearly there,” Blaine encouraged Kurt, and Kurt threw him a small but thankful smile and hobbled on, cursing his shoes under his breath.

Back at the apartment, they said goodnight to Sebastian, who flashed them a brilliant smile and wished them a happy New Year, and went straight to their bedroom. Kurt grimaced as he gingerly took off his shoes and socks and then star-fished onto the bed with a groan.

“Shall I go check if Sebastian has a first aid kit somewhere?” Blaine offered, taking off his jacket.

“I saw one in the pantry,” Kurt remembered. “A big red box on one of the lower shelves. Thanks, sweetie!”

When Blaine returned with the box and took out the antiseptic and the plasters, Kurt was piercing the biggest blisters with a needle from his emergency sewing kit so as to drain them. Blaine disinfected all the blisters and the open wounds on Kurt’s heels and put plasters on them.

Blaine put the box on his nightstand for when they woke up, and fetched Kurt’s supplies from the bathroom to gently remove the eyeliner from around Kurt’s eyes. Then he helped his boyfriend, who seemed half asleep already, out of his vest and shirt and tugged off the tight leather pants. He folded the clothes neatly and put them on a chair. Then he tucked Kurt in carefully. “Sleep, love.”

Blaine took off his party clothes and went to the bathroom to quickly take off his own make-up and brush his teeth. He yawned hugely and joined Kurt in bed, snuggling up to him contentedly. “Happy New Year, love.”

Kurt opened his eyes and smiled at Blaine drowsily. “Happy New Year.”

K & B

All three of them slept in late, and Blaine was thankful that he’d stuck to beer this time. He had a bit of a headache, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as his hang-over after the karaoke night had been.

Kurt wasn’t hung-over at all, but his feet were still hurting. Blaine helped him hobble to the bathroom, and after a quick shower, Blaine inspected the blisters again and put new plasters on them.

When they arrived in the kitchen, it smelled like food already, to their great surprise. Sebastian was manning the stove, and smirked when he saw their astonished expressions.

“Want some scrambled eggs and bacon?” Sebastian offered, holding the pan out for inspection.

Blaine grinned. “Yes, please.”

Kurt looked conflicted, but ended up saying yes, too. “If you add a couple of tomatoes and some mushrooms to the pan.”

Kurt went to the fridge and got out the tomatoes and mushrooms. He cleaned and diced them and threw them into the pan, smiling with satisfaction. “Better.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes, and Blaine suppressed a chuckle. He reached for the coffee, but decided to drink a glass of water first, to chase the headache away.

“What made you decide to cook breakfast?” Blaine asked Sebastian, picking oranges out of the fruit bowl to slice them in half and press them.

Sebastian shrugged. “You’re right that I need to learn to cook. And breakfast food is easy, so it’s a good start.”

Kurt bit his lip. “Eggs and bacon isn’t something you should eat every day. Too high in cholesterol.”

“I know that, Mom,” Sebastian drawled. “I just craved bacon this morning.”

Kurt swatted at Sebastian’s shoulder. “Don’t call me Mom.”

Sebastian stuck out his tongue. “Don’t treat me like a child.”

Blaine poured the orange juice into glasses and offered both bickerers a glass, which shut them up for a second. He checked the contents of the pan and turned the heat off. “Looks like the veggies are done. Let’s eat.”

After breakfast, Kurt received a telephone call from Rachel and excused himself to take the call in their bedroom, and in the meantime, Blaine booked their plane tickets to Columbus and listened to Sebastian as he told them that Elliot’s label had okayed Sebastian as Elliot’s supporting act for the tour, and that he’d met Elliot’s band members yesterday at the party and they’d made plans to get together next Monday afternoon to run through Sebastian’s set list.

“They’re cool,” Sebastian sighed in satisfaction. “I’m really looking forward to touring with them. Max has the most interesting tattoos, and I love the stories he tells about them. Peter doesn’t say much, but I love his dry humour. And John promised to teach me to play drums. And then there are the back-up singers: Shadi and Leila and Eileen. Eileen knows all the best gossip about the artists she’s performed with. A fountain of information. And Shadi and Leila are sisters, and they’re just hilarious. Gifted mimics. They were telling me about their family. They have six other siblings and their grandmother and unmarried aunt live with them as well, and they can imitate every single family member flawlessly, from their six-year-old brother who’s obsessed with Batman to the grumpy grandmother who’s forever shocked by their forward behaviour.”

“They certainly sound nice,” Blaine agreed. “So when does the tour start?”

“Early February,” Sebastian answered. “Sunday, the second of February.”

“And when are you guys coming to Ohio?” Blaine asked.

“Halfway March, I think? I’d have to check to be sure. We’re coming to Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland.”

“Great. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Me too, man,” Sebastian nodded, and held up his fist for a fist-bump. “Elliot told me you and Kurt have agreed to come sing with us on stage for our Ohio concerts. That’s going to be awesome!”

“I know, right?” Blaine beamed. “And you’re staying at our house while you’re in Ohio. We won’t take no for an answer!”

“That’s right, you’re going to be living together by then,” Sebastian recalled. “So is Kurt moving in with you or vice versa?”

“Neither. We’ve bought a house together.”

Sebastian’s eyes went wide. “Wow. After knowing each other for… What? Two months?”

Blaine nodded wordlessly.

Sebastian cocked his head to the side and mused, “You know, if it were anyone else, I’d say they were crazy. But you seem like an old married couple already. So I guess you’ll be okay.”

Blaine smiled at Sebastian, grateful for his support. “I hope so. You’re right, it does sound like a whirlwind romance if you consider that it’s only been two months. But it really feels like so much longer already. And it was such a hassle to live two hours apart. That’s mainly why we wanted to move in together. We both hated that the commute chipped away at the hours we could spend together.”

Sebastian hummed in understanding. “So tell me about the house.”

Blaine grinned and pulled up a few photos on his phone to show Sebastian. He was in the middle of explaining how Kurt envisioned the kitchen when the man in question entered the living room again, and eagerly picked in on the topic, even going as far as to make some pencil sketches on the back of the take-out menus Sebastian had lying around on his coffee table.

“We’re so lucky that the roof is still in fine condition,” Kurt gushed. “It’s only the kitchen and the bathrooms that have to be overhauled, really. No major renovating. So we don’t even have to apply for a town planning permit. I’m glad. Those permits take time.”

“True,” Sebastian agreed, “and you like to move fast, don’t you? I’m betting on you getting married by Valentine ’s Day, if you keep up that trend.”

Kurt seemed a bit disconcerted by Sebastian’s remark. “Oh, come on! You’re just like my dad… He thought Blaine and I had eloped to New York to get married, and was miffed that I hadn’t invited him along.”

Sebastian sniggered and starting humming “I Can Hear The Bells”. Blaine chuckled and chimed in with the lyrics. Together, they hammed it up until Kurt dissolved into gales of laughter.

In the afternoon, Elliot came over, and they talked through their plans for the Ohio concerts in March, and then prepared a yummy chicken curry dish together for dinner.

They watched a movie together, and then Kurt and Blaine excused themselves at around ten in the evening, since their flight was the next morning and they wouldn’t be able to sleep in. Sebastian winked at Blaine as they left, moving a bit closer to Elliot on the sofa. Blaine winked back and grinned.

_I guess Elliot will be around for breakfast tomorrow morning, too…_


	111. Time to Say Goodbye

# Chapter 111: Time to Say Goodbye

 _"I got to thinking—when it was too late—you have to reach out to people. To your family, too. You can't just let them sit there, you should put your hand out. If they slap it back, well you reach out again if you care enough. If you don't care enough, you forget about them, if you can." (_ Cynthia Voigt _, Dicey’s Song)_

Their last day in New York was pretty uneventful. Apart from a bad case of sore feet and a phone call from an inquisitive Rachel, it consisted of quiet quality time with Sebastian and Elliot.

On January 2nd, they got up early so as to get to the airport on time. Kurt had said goodbye to Sebastian the night before, not counting on him getting up in time to see them before they left, but Sebastian pleasantly surprised him by padding into the living room, followed by Elliot, yawning hugely.

Blaine was quick to fill two mugs with coffee for them.

“I’d say ‘Good morning’, but I guess it’s rather too early for you to call it that,” Blaine grinned.

Sebastian drank deeply from his coffee. “Mmm, caffeine helps… Say, I was thinking last night… Do I have your phone numbers?”

Kurt put a plate with a salmon and spinach omelette in front of him, and answered, “No, I don’t think so. Hand me your phone for a sec?”

Kurt created two new contacts, one for him and one for Blaine, and then handed the phone back to Sebastian, who quickly snapped a photo of Kurt and one of Blaine to add to the contact profile.

_Thank heavens I’m dressed and coiffed already …_

“Let me write down our new address for you as well,” Blaine offered, and he scribbled it on a paper napkin that lay on the table.

“So when are you moving, exactly?” Elliot asked.

“As soon as we’ve packed everything up,” Kurt answered. “We started the day after Christmas, but haven’t gotten far yet.”

Sebastian looked away and hurriedly took another bite from his omelette.

Kurt put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey… That wasn’t a reproach… This was a really nice vacation, and I loved catching up with you and Elliot. I never want to go this long again without seeing either of you. Stay in touch, please.”

“We will,” Elliot promised. “Anyway, are you sure you’re moving before the renovation work in the house is done? If I were you, I’d stay put in my old house until the new one is all done. The noise and the dirt and all the small and big problems that are sure to sprout up while you’re renovating are going to drive you crazy if you live there during the renovations. Keep an eye on the works, yes, or else you’ll find out they haven’t done things exactly as you wanted them to, but go home to a nice clean quiet house after and relax and think of other stuff.”

Kurt looked at Elliot. There was some truth to that. He’d lived at the shop for a week during the renovations, and at times, he’d desperately wished he could escape the dust and the worries for a while.

“We’ll think about it,” Kurt mused, sharing a look with Blaine.

They finished their breakfast in silence, each occupied by their own thoughts. Then Blaine collected the plates and rinsed them.

Kurt refilled his mug with coffee and offered the others a refill, too. Then something occurred to him, and he blurted it out immediately. “So what do I do with your journals? Do I send them back to you?”

Sebastian blanched and shook his head. “No. No, destroy them! Throw them away. Burn them in your fireplace. I don’t want to see them ever again. It’s all in the past now, and I don’t want to relive it.”

“We… We did read some of them,” Kurt confessed. “To figure out where you might be.”

Sebastian’s mouth twisted a little. He gave a short nod, but didn’t say anything.

Kurt and Blaine shared a look, and then Blaine sat down next to Sebastian and put his arm around Sebastian’s waist. “Hey… I’m sorry, man… We completely freaked out over your letter, and wanted to find you asap. What we read didn’t make us think any less of you. On the contrary. I admire how strong you are. You and Kurt have that in common. You’re so brave. Whatever life throws at you, you catch it neatly and score. That takes guts.”

Kurt nodded. “Only… Don’t put your past behind thick walls and ignore it. That won’t work, trust me. It will come back to haunt you when you least expect it to, and trip you up. Build a new life, yes, by all means, but try and embrace your past. You’ve been through a lot, and I know you don’t want to revisit it because it triggers nightmares and makes you sad and angry, but it’s important that you make your peace with it. All those experiences, the good and the bad, made you who you are now. Build on that foundation. The songs are a great start. They’re helping you exorcise your demons. And I really think you should reach out to your mom. Hand me your phone again, will you? I’ve got her cell phone number. When you’re ready, call her. You’ll both be happier if you can have each other in your lives.”

Sebastian glowered at Kurt, but that didn’t deter Kurt, who held out his hand commandingly, his chin up and his eyes blazing. Kurt won the battle of the glares, and Sebastian sighed deeply and fished his phone out of his pocket for Kurt.

Kurt typed in the contact information, and gave the phone back to Sebastian with a smile. “Promise me you’ll call her.”

Sebastian scowled and didn’t say a word.

Kurt tilted his head sideways and gave Sebastian his most beseeching look. “Please? For me?”

Sebastian’s scowl slid off his face gradually and was replaced by a deer-in-the-headlights expression. “Ugh… I hate it when you do that. Okay, yes, I’ll call her when I’m ready to.”

Kurt grinned at his friend. “Good. And you’ll check in with us regularly?”

“Yes, yes,” Sebastian grumbled. “Seriously, with all your nagging, I have enough of a mom in you already. Why would I need another one?”

Elliot and Blaine chuckled.

Kurt looked Sebastian straight in the eye and said softly but firmly, “Because you’ve both been on your own for too long. You need each other. Let her make amends. Let her be there for you now as she wasn’t so many years ago. Give her a second chance. She’s not like your dad. She genuinely cares. Reach out to her. I promise you you’ll be glad you did.”

Sebastian looked doubtful, and shrugged. “Okay.”

Kurt checked his watched, bowed dramatically and declaimed, “And on that note, we’ll take our leave.”

Blaine pouted. He drained his coffee mug and then hugged Elliot and Sebastian, murmuring his goodbyes to them. Kurt hugged the both of them too, and then Kurt and Blaine took their luggage, waved goodbye and left the apartment.

K&B

That afternoon found them in Kurt’s house, back where they left off the day after Christmas. They’d talked it over while on the plane, and had decided to stay at Blaine’s apartment until their house was completely renovated, which meant that Kurt would bring a selection of his winter clothes and shoes to Blaine’s place, as well as some utensils Blaine’s kitchen lacked, but the rest of the clothes and household goods would be packed up to be transported to their new home when it was finished.

They’d managed to pack most of Kurt’s wardrobe and shoes and had just moved to the kitchen to start on the china, carefully wrapping it in old newspapers, when the shop bell rang downstairs.

“Who could that be?” Blaine wondered.

“That will be the plumber,” Kurt beamed. “She was going to stop by to discuss bathroom plans with us. Puck gave me her number, and I called her the day we bought the house, and left her a voicemail to make an appointment when she didn’t pick up. She got back to me this morning. Sent me a text to ask if she could drop by this afternoon.”

Kurt rushed downstairs and let the plumber in.

“Hey, come on in!” he sing-songed. “The living room is upstairs. If you’d follow me…”

“This is not the house you wanted to talk about, right?” verified the plumber. “Puck said it was in Westerville. Finally seen sense, have you? I used to live here in Lima too. Couldn’t get out fast enough after high school. Seriously, who’d want to live here?”

Kurt raised an eyebrow, but answered, “Yes, the house that is to be renovated is on the outskirts of Westerville.”

“Good, that’s a lot closer to where I live,” the plumber approved.

They arrived upstairs, and Kurt led the plumber to the kitchen. “This is my boyfriend Blaine. Oh, and my name is Kurt, I forgot to say that.”

“I go by Zizes,” the plumber drawled. “Now can we get to business and talk about these bathrooms of yours, so that I can leave at a decent hour? It will take me ages to get back to Westerville and I’m hungry already.”

Kurt was a bit taken aback by Zizes’ bluntness, but remembered Puck’s praise (“You won’t find a better plumber in all of Ohio!”), so he hastened to offer Zizes some gruyere and parmesan breadsticks to tide her over until dinner, and went to fetch his laptop to show Zizes what they had in mind for the bathrooms.


	112. Longer Than We Thought

# Chapter 112: Longer Than We Thought

“ _Oh, Anne, things are so mixed-up in real life. They aren't clear-cut and trimmed off, as they are in novels._ ” (L. M. Montgomery, _Anne of the Island_ )

Zizes knew her job, and knew it well, Kurt had to admit. She talked him out of the old-fashioned bath tub he’d picked for the master bathroom, and encouraged him to choose a rectangular bath with two sloping backrests, with the drainage and overflows in the middle, meant for two people to share, and to place it in the corner rather than in the middle of the bathroom, leaving room for a towel closet, a medicine cabinet and a clothes hamper instead.

“Seriously, a clawfoot tub is pretty enough in a showroom, but it isn’t practical in the least,” Zizes shrugged. “Difficult to clean underneath. Cast iron under the enamel, so it’s cold in winter. And it’s narrow, too. Don’t think so much of the aesthetics, please. Go for a bathroom that is functional and easy to keep clean. Like this, for instance. Why on earth do you need two separate sinks? Yes, you need plenty of room around it for both of you to put your stuff. But you don’t need two basins. Pick one wide sink that you can both use at the same time.”

In the sketches, Zizes also cleverly inserted a tiny wash-up sink in a recess of the downstairs toilet - “For when you have guests”. Kurt had believed the room to be too small for that, and was glad to be proved wrong.

Zizes did approve of the walk-in shower Kurt had chosen for the other bathroom, though she warned him that they’d have to check and double-check that the drainage system worked the way it should. “Wouldn’t be the first time I’d have to come back in a hurry to fix a flooded bathroom.”

She also advised Kurt and Blaine on what flooring would suit both bathrooms best, extensively listing the pros and cons of each option, so that they could make an informed decision.

When they were through discussing every aspect, the end result only vaguely ressembled what Kurt had put together on his own, yet he was so pleased with the new and improved version that he invited Zizes to stay over for dinner. He’d found out that they’d been in high school together, and though they’d never spoken nor shared classes, he now recognised her as the girl who once stopped three jocks from throwing him into a dumpster.

Zizes declined the offer, though she seemed to appreciate it. “No, I have to get back to Westerville. Az will panic if I’m not home in time to bathe the children. He deals well enough with snack time and dinner time by himself, but washing and clothing little children stumps him, not to mention brushing their hair.”

She rolled her eyes and got up, closing her notepad. “So I’ll order all of this for your house, and I’ll get in touch with you to fix a date for the installation. Might take a while, though, I’m pretty much booked solid for the next six weeks, and some of the materials might be out of stock. Well, Puck still has to take out the old bathroom, and he says you need a new kitchen as well, so he can do that first. Have you ordered your kitchen cabinets already? Usually, they take eight weeks to build.”

“Eight weeks?” Kurt repeated, rather shocked, and Zizes nodded. “At the least. I’ll let you know when I could pencil you in. Well, thanks for the snack, and you’ll hear from me. Bye!”

Kurt accompanied her downstairs to show her out. Then he climbed up the steps slowly.

_Six weeks until she can get started… And we chose our cabinets, yes, and I e-mailed all the product information to Puck, so he should have ordered everything for the kitchen by now, but he never told me I should count on an eight-week delay for the cabinets to be built. Ugh… This is going to take ages, and I want to move in yesterday. Ah well… Better to have patience and to have everything done well, I guess. I don’t want any unpleasant surprises after we’ve moved._

“This is going to take longer than we thought,” Blaine mused.

“It is,” Kurt sighed. “Ah well, at least my new shop should be almost done by now. I’ll go and check on the renovations Sunday evening, when we are back in Westerville.”

Blaine hugged Kurt from behind, nuzzling his ear. “Hey… If you’d rather stay here in your house for the duration, that’s okay with me, too. I can always hitch a ride to school with Tina. I really don’t mind the commute.”

Kurt shook his head. “No. Your apartment’s fine. And it’s much closer to our house and to my Westerville shop. We’ll need to check in regularly to see if everything is being done according to our plans. We’ll… We’ll make this work.”

“Is it weird that I’m going to miss your house here as much as my apartment?” Blaine asked.

Kurt smiled. “I know what you mean. Your apartment is my home away from home as well, so yes, I’ll also be sad to say goodbye to it when we leave.”

Blaine’s stomach rumbled at that point, and they both laughed. “Dinner time, I guess? Let’s make it a stir-fry.”

Over dinner, they talked about their house, and Kurt told Blaine what he remembered about Zizes from high school. “She was a wrestler. Could tackle even the toughest football players. Kind of a rebel, too, in those days. And she was in the A/V club. Joined the Glee club, too, for a while, and did wonders with the stage lighting.”

Blaine nodded. “Weird name, though, Zizes.”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure that’s her last name,” Kurt answered. “Wait, I’ll grab my McKinley yearbooks and we’ll see.”

They settled onto the sofa with the yearbooks and searched for Zizes, and yes, they found her as the president of the A/V club, and mentioned as Lauren Zizes.

“Lauren,” Blaine tried it out. “That’s a lovely name. “

“It is,” Kurt agreed. “But maybe she doesn’t like it much. Or maybe she goes by her last name because she’s so used to working with men, in this business, and she wants them to respect her.”

Blaine hummed absently, leafing through the yearbook and smiling whenever he saw a familiar face. After a while, he exclaimed happily, “This is you with the cheerleading team! You look so hot in that outfit.”

Kurt smirked. “Glad you think so, sweetie.”

“You won the Nationals title?” Blaine read off the page.

“Oh yes, years in a row! Our coach was absolutely mental, but she did an excellent job coaching us. Our glee club won Nationals, too, in my senior year. That felt amazing, both when it was announced, and after, when we got back to school. Glee club was considered the lowest of the low, and we were slushied and mocked for years, but after our win, we got everyone’s respect.”

“I still can’t believe the teachers and the principal at your school didn’t ban slushies,” Blaine mused. “They must have noticed you guys got bullied with that stuff.”

Kurt shrugged. “Oh, they noticed alright, but they didn’t care. Or if they cared, they didn’t have enough pull to do something about it.”

Blaine scrunched his mouth. “That’s terrible…”

“Your public school was even worse,” Kurt countered. “You got beaten up.”

“I did… And then I ran away to Dalton instead of facing my troubles head-on, like you did.”

Kurt turned to face Blaine, surprised to hear his boyfriend talk about himself so deprecatingly. “Blaine… That isn’t running away. It’s called being smart. You could have been killed in that attack. It’s only normal that you moved away from such a dangerous environment. And what do you mean about me facing my troubles? I ran away from Sebastian. I kept my sexual orientation and my past and my every claim to fame secret. I was a scared little boy, even more so than you.”

Blaine looked at Kurt, his eyes brimming with tears. “I just… I imagine you taking all that abuse day after day at high school, and wishing I’d been there with you to share the burden.”

Kurt pulled Blaine onto his lap and started playing with his hair to soothe him. “Oh, sweetie… That’s all over now. And the bullying had some positive side-effects. I made firm friends with the glee club kids because of it, and it led me to write thrillers, to let off steam in a creative way. It’s basically how I became Mark Easterbrook.”

Blaine didn’t answer, except to bury his face even closer into Kurt’s chest.

“You know, I would have loved to have known you then,” Kurt continued. “But I think we were always meant to meet like this. At the book fair. And everything that came before, be it good or bad, just shaped us into who we are and led us towards each other. So I don’t regret any of it, since it brought me to you. Here, and now. You’re everything I’ve ever dreamed of, and you make me so happy. So don’t you dare apologise for not finding me earlier. We met when we were ready to.”

Blaine lifted his head to look at Kurt. “I love you.”

Kurt smiled happily. “I love you too.”


	113. Back Home

# Chapter 113: Back Home

“ _What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are._ ” (C.S. Lewis, _The Magician's Nephew)_

Blaine was sad to see their time in New York come to an end, but he was equally eager to get back to Ohio so as to do some more packing and to have Kurt all to himself again. He also planned on working on his new children’s book and finishing his lesson preparations for the coming week. Taking some time off from all his responsibilities had been wonderful, but now it was time to get back into the groove.

Sebastian requested both of their phone numbers, and Kurt gave him Adela Smythe’s cell phone number as a bonus, and somehow coaxed a reluctant Seb into reconciliating with his mother as soon he felt ready to take that step.

Elliot, meanwhile, chatted with Kurt and Blaine about their impending move, and managed to convince them that it wasn’t a good idea to move before the renovations.

_He does have a point there. It isn’t really necessary for us to rush things. We both have a perfectly acceptable place to stay, and we both own our place, so we don’t have to move out on a set date. We can stay at Kurt’s or at my place for as long as we like. If Kurt wants us to live in Lima for a while, I’d be happy to. As long as we can be together, I’ll be content._

When Kurt announced that they had to leave for the airport, Blaine pouted. It had only been a week, but that had sufficed amply for him to bond with both Sebastian and Elliot, and now he was loath to leave his new friends.

Blaine gave Sebastian a bear hug first. “Thanks for having us, man. Come to Ohio really soon and let us return the favour, okay? You’re always welcome!”

Sebastian hummed in assent, hugging him back fiercely. “Thanks for coming and getting me out of my funk. This was the best New Year ever!”

Then Blaine hugged Elliot, too, murmuring, “Can’t wait to sing with you on stage, bro. It’s going to be epic! You take care of Sebastian for us, and don’t be a stranger.”

Elliot clapped Blaine on the back. “Kurt has chosen himself a good man. I’m so glad I got to meet you, and yes, us singing together is going to bring the roof down, that’s for sure! See you soon!”

K&B

On the plane, they chatted about Sebastian and Elliot for a while, and then Kurt brought up the conversation he’d had with Rachel. She’d been surprised and rather envious to learn they’d gone to New York for a week - “I wish we could do that on a whim as well, but with the children and Finn’s job, that’s just impossible. It sounds like you had a lovely time, though.”

She’d sounded so wistful that Kurt had offered to have the children sleep over at his place Friday or Saturday night, so that Finn and Rachel could have some time to themselves. Rachel had accepted eagerly, probably run ragged after nearly two weeks with the children at home 24/7.

“You don’t mind, do you?” Kurt asked, seeming a little anxious that he’d promised Rachel the sleep-over without discussing it with Blaine first.

Blaine just grinned and pecked Kurt on the mouth. “Not at all. Let’s have them the whole Saturday. We can go fetch them in the morning, and then return them on Sunday afternoon, before we leave for Westerville.”

Kurt quirked an eyebrow. “The whole Saturday? What did you have in mind?”

“That depends,” Blaine answered. “Are they allergic to cats and dogs?”

Kurt’s eyebrows went up even higher. “Not that I know of. They don’t have pets because Rachel considers them unsanitary. Why do you ask?”

Blaine winked at his boyfriend. “That’s for me to know and for you to find out.”

Kurt didn’t like being kept in the dark; that much was obvious. He sulked for quite some time, until Blaine brought up their house and started talking about paint colours for the walls. Kurt perked up, and the rest of their plane ride was spent discussing interior design. Blaine wasn’t surprised to find that Kurt had already sketched out their living room and master bedroom in painstaking detail, down to the light switches and the decorations. They’d moved on to discussing the bathrooms and had just decided on a light blue colour for the walls when the plane landed.

Back in Lima, they finished packing Kurt’s clothes and shoes and then started on the kitchen china, but had to stop almost instantly when the shop bell rang.

Blaine was surprised, but Kurt beamed and explained that he’d contacted a plumber to come by to discuss the bathroom renovations. Kurt skipped down the stairs and came back moments later with the plumber, a woman who seemed about their age or slightly older, and had about twice as much attitude and sass as Puck and Jake combined. She introduced herself as Zizes.

_Weird name… Is that Spanish?_

Zizes may have been gruff, but there was no denying that she was an expert. Though she and Kurt clashed over the design vs. functionality debate, they managed to piece together two bathrooms that looked inviting, easy to use and easy to clean.

Kurt looked thoroughly pleased, at least until Zizes mentioned it would probably take two months before the renovations could even start. Not just the bathrooms, but the kitchen, too. Apparently, the kitchen cabinets took eight weeks to make. Puck hadn’t breathed a word about that, and it was obviously news to Kurt, as it was to Blaine. Unwelcome news.

Kurt showed Zizes out and came back into the living room sporting a serious expression, thinking so loudly that Blaine could almost hear the wheels turning in Kurt’s head.

_Kurt is probably regretting that we’ve packed up so much of his stuff now. Would he rather stay here until we can move into our house, seeing as it’s going to take longer than we thought?_

Blaine offered, but Kurt nixed that plan, telling Blaine that he needed to be in Westerville to oversee the refitting of his shop.

K & B

The next day, after a lazy and leisurely start to the day, Kurt and Blaine both caught up with their work, and Blaine texted Sam, whose number he’d gotten during the bro night, about his Saturday plans. He got a quick and enthusiastic response, mentioning that Mercedes would be coming along too. Blaine grinned contentedly.

_Even better… Kurt will love getting to spend some more time with Mercedes!_

In the afternoon, they continued packing all Kurt’s non-essential belongings, and swapping stories that often had them in stitches or in tears. Their work halted when Blaine happened upon a scrapbook in which a young Kurt had planned his entire wedding, and Kurt explained how he had altered the colour scheme and other details for it to fit Burt and Carole’s wedding. He also described how the New Directions had danced the bride and groom in, and how Finn had sung to him and assured Kurt that he truly saw him and loved him like a brother now.

“He seems like a great brother to have,” Blaine mused. “Doesn’t tease you. Doesn’t belittle or criticize you. Doesn’t insist on getting all the attention. You just have to feed him and he’s content.”

Kurt shot Blaine a piercing look. “Don’t you miss your family? You haven’t seen them at Thanksgiving nor at Christmas?”

Blaine sighed. “I do miss my mom’s cuddles and listening ear sometimes. When you and I had our fall-out, I thought about calling her. I didn’t, though. She’d have insisted I come and visit, and I really don’t want to see my father until he’s apologised. Fat chance of that ever happening, of course.”

Kurt looked conflicted, torn between sadness and disapproval. “And Cooper?”

Blaine sighed. “I’ll invite him to our house-warming in a few months’ time. I won’t be holding my breath over it, though. Chances are that he won’t turn up. And if he does, he’ll be obnoxious. Oh, he’ll be charming enough to you, but he’ll go out of his way to embarrass me, telling you mortifying childhood anecdotes about me or loudly giving me sex tips or something else equally cringe-worthy.”

Kurt’s eyes glimmered with amusement as Blaine summed up the horrors Cooper might have in store for him. “Cooper sounds like a real character. Yes, invite him. I’ll hold you to that. You can invite your mother too. She seemed nice, and I’d like to get to know her.”

Blaine shrugged. “Sure. If you like.”


	114. You're Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on vacation next week, so there will be no updates on 20 July and 23 July. Sorry about that!

# Chapter 114: You’re Back

“ _Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them._ ” ( Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, _The Little Prince_ )

That evening, they were greeted with loud jubilant cries from Sarah and Toby as soon as they stepped into the Hudmel living room. “Uncle Blaine! Uncle Kurt! You’re back!”

Toby ran to Blaine and took his legs into a vice grip, rubbing his face ecstatically against Blaine’s knees. Sarah danced around Kurt and Blaine happily, chanting “You’re back! You’re back!”

After a few minutes, Sarah had quieted down enough to ask, “So when are we having a sleep-over?”

“Sarah!” Rachel admonished her.

“But, Mom, you said so!” Sarah whined. “You promised! I’ve been looking forward to it for so long now!”

Blaine chuckled. “We’re coming to fetch you on Saturday morning, and we’re keeping you until Sunday afternoon. Is that all right?”

Toby and Sarah beamed and nodded their heads fervently.

“What are we going to do?” Sarah wanted to know.

“That’s a surprise,” Blaine answered, bopping her nose. “I didn’t even tell Uncle Kurt.”

“Blaine refuses to tell me what he’s planning,” Kurt confirmed, pouting exaggeratedly, and the children laughed.

“Dinner time!” Carole announced, giving Kurt and Blaine a hug and ushering them in the direction of the dinner table.

Carole had prepared pork tenderloin with mixed vegetables, and Blaine’s eyes nearly rolled to the back of his head with how good it tasted. He let Kurt do the talking and concentrated on the food instead.

Burt asked Kurt what had been so urgent that he’d hurried off to New York, and Kurt, no doubt knowing that if he glossed over the story, Burt would hear it from his sister anyway, told Burt about Sebastian’s suicide note and their frantic search for him.

“Huh…” Burt huffed. “What I don’t understand is why that kid would send a suicide note to you. You’ve never mentioned him before. Can’t have been much of a friend.”

Kurt fidgeted in his chair. “Well… Remember what I told you about that boy I had a crush on? That was Sebastian. And I never talked to you about him because it hurt too much. I thought he didn’t care about me. As it turns out, he did. He crushed on me, too. So basically, we were both morons who should have talked things out instead of running away and fearing the worst.”

“So you found him?” Burt asked, and Kurt nodded.

“And he’s okay?” Burt probed.

Kurt bit his lip. “He will be. We had a good talk, and you’re right, Dad, that really helped. It gave me the closure I needed on that chapter of my life. I got his perspective on what happened, and he apologised to me, and now we can just be good friends again, without any resentment or awkwardness between us. He’s a great guy, really. I’ll introduce him to you when he and his boyfriend will come to Ohio in March.”

Burt threw Kurt a piercing look that intimated he sensed there was more to the story, but he just grunted and asked no more questions.

Rachel eagerly took over the questioning. She wanted to know all about New York. What they had done, what they had visited and seen and eaten. She exclaimed over the karaoke night, and sighed that she would have given anything to see all of them sing together.

“Well,” Kurt began, “Elliot is a celebrity, and there were fans of his at the karaoke bar, so perhaps they’ve filmed us and put it on YouTube.”

Rachel’s eyes lit up, and she whipped out her smartphone. “What’s Elliot’s last name?”

“Gilbert. Elliot Gilbert.”

Rachel typed it in as fast as she could, and her eyes widened slightly. “Wow, he’s handsome! Only, he has an awful lot of videos on YouTube. How do I find the ones of your karaoke outing?”

“We went to Callbacks, on 27 December,” Kurt explained further. “Maybe that will help you narrow down the search?”

“Oh, here’s a song dated 27 December!” Rachel exclaimed. “For Your Entertainment, it’s called.”

“That’s just Elliot, by himself,” Kurt clarified. “Maybe search for Walk of Life? That’s the song the five of us did together.”

Rachel typed it in, and her eyes gleamed in triumph when she found the song in question. Finn came to stand behind her, as did Carole, and together, they watched the YouTube recording.

“You sound good together,” Rachel approved. “So who’s Sebastian?”

Kurt pointed him out on the screen.

“Very good-looking,” Rachel commented, and then, when she noticed Finn glower, she stood on her tippy-toes to kiss Finn’s scowl away and she amended: “But you know I only have eyes for you, sweetie.”

“Anyway, they’re a couple now, Elliot and Sebastian,” Kurt announced proudly, as though he had personally made that happen, and in a way, Blaine supposed he had. “And they’re going on a concert tour together. I could take you to one of their Ohio concerts, if you want to meet them.”

Rachel threw Finn a hopeful look, and Finn nodded. “Okay, that would be cool.”

“If you expect us to look after the children while you go to that concert, I want you to bring Sebastian and Elliot over for dinner, so that I can meet them as well,” Burt stated.

“I can do that,” Kurt said confidently.

They left soon after dinner, Blaine promising to pick Sarah and Toby up at nine AM the next morning. Kurt raised an eyebrow when he heard exactly how early they would go fetch the children, but he didn’t say anything.

K&B

Accordingly, the next morning Blaine was up bright and early, humming and smiling as he prepared breakfast. He’d bought some unbaked frozen croissants, pains aux raisins and pains au chocolat before they left for New York, thinking to surprise Kurt with a luxurious breakfast on New Year’s Day. That little plan had been thwarted, of course, but this day was as good as any to indulge in some crispy buttery goodness.

_I really have to take Kurt to Paris some time… There’s this bakery where they have croissants that just melt into your mouth. Mmm… For now, this will have to do, I’m afraid._

As the pastries puffed up and acquired a lovely golden-brown colour in the oven, their heavenly smell lured Kurt out of bed, sniffing delightedly and grinning from ear to ear when he saw what was baking. “Croissants? Really? I love croissants! Haven’t eaten any in years… What are those other pastries?”

Blaine pulled Kurt close and started peppering his neck with feather-light kisses. “Pastries with chocolate inside and with raisins inside.”

“That sounds yummy, too,” Kurt beamed.

Blaine had made them fresh cranberry juice and yoghurt with chunks of pineapple too, and they both enjoyed their breakfast to the highest.

Then Blaine hurried to get to the bathroom first, and advised Kurt to pick out an outfit that was both comfortable and stain-proof.

“So what are we doing today?” Kurt yelled through the closed bathroom door.

Blaine smiled to himself and then yelled back, “You’ll find out soon enough!”

Forty minutes later, they walked to the Hudson-Berry’s to pick up the children, and as soon as Rachel opened the door, Sarah and Toby raced past her and both Blaine and Kurt had an armful of excited child that almost knocked them to the sidewalk.

“Sarah! Toby!” Rachel admonished them. “Let your uncles breathe, please. Sarah, put your gloves on. Toby, you haven’t put your hat on yet!”

Both children hurried to put on the extra articles of clothing, and then looked up at Blaine and Kurt expectantly.

“So where are we going?” Sarah inquired.

“I’m taking the three of you somewhere special,” Blaine promised her. “Bye Rachel! We’ll have them back by four PM tomorrow, is that okay?”

“Of course,” Rachel answered. She kissed Sarah and Toby goodbye, told them to be good for their uncles and then closed the door with a cheery wave.

Toby offered a hand to both Kurt and Blaine, and Sarah hastened to take Blaine’s other hand, and together, they walked to their destination. Every now and then, Kurt and Blaine swung Toby up in the air between them, and every time, he shrieked in excitement and demanded that they do it again.

As they came closer, Blaine saw the lightbulb go on in Kurt’s head. Kurt turned to Blaine with a big grin on his face and nodded approvingly. And then they rounded the corner and Kurt saw Mercedes and Sam, and he let go off Toby’s hand to race towards Mercedes and hug her.

Blaine and the children followed, and greeted Sam and Mercedes as well.

“Well, don’t let’s just stand here and freeze our noses off,” Sam said. “Let’s go inside, where it’s warm!”


	115. Never Felt So Close

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I'm back from my vacation! And a year older, too, though I'm not sure I'm any wiser... Sorry to have skipped a week! I can definitely feel it now. My writing muscles are a little stiff, and this chapter is a bit all over the place. It comes with a smut warning, too :-) Proceed at your own risk!

# Chapter 115: Never Felt So Close

 _“And Bridget was straightforwardly happy, even as a kid. You could put baby Bridget down on a two-foot-square mat in the living room and she’d never crawl off it. She would sit, playing contentedly with whatever was to hand, and never bother about what might be out of her reach. She didn’t ever get dirty, and she had rarely cried. As a grown woman, she was the same. She’d found Karl, and they were gently, impressively happy together. No crawling off the mat.” (_ Elizabeth Noble _, Alphabet Weekends)_

When Kurt woke up on Friday morning, he immediately closed his eyes again and luxuriated in the feeling of lying in his very own comfy bed, in Blaine’s arms, and having nothing to get up for and no-one else to think about.

Kurt felt Blaine press his lips against his temple. “Hey sleepyhead!”

Kurt kept his eyes resolutely closed and didn’t answer.

Blaine chuckled, the sound reverberating through Kurt. “I know you’re awake.”

“’m not,” Kurt mumbled rebelliously.

Blaine laughed. “It’s almost nine o’clock, love. High time we got up!”

“Don’ wanna,” Kurt grumbled.

Blaine softly stroked Kurt’s right arm and nuzzled his neck. Kurt let his head fall back to grant Blaine better access, and sighed in satisfaction when Blaine started peppering kisses from his chin to his collarbone, while Blaine’s hands slowly mapped out Kurt’s body, paying extra attention to Kurt’s pleasure spots.

Kurt closed his eyes, arched his back and sighed blissfully.

_Oh, I’ve missed this! Just being able to stay in bed as long as we want to and enjoy each other at our leisure… And I really want to switch things around this time._

Blaine smiled down at Kurt, who looked at his boyfriend from under his lashes and led Blaine’s hands to his ass. Blaine cupped it firmly, raising an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

Kurt hummed in assent, and wriggled his tush to encourage Blaine to get on with it.

Blaine reached over Kurt to get the lube and a condom from the drawer of his nightstand, and then gently started to prep Kurt, distracting him from any discomfort he felt by letting his other hand roam and caress freely and by kissing, licking and nipping his way to Kurt’s cock and then sinking his mouth down over it.

Soon, Blaine had Kurt gasping and quivering, reduced to jelly under Blaine’s tender ministrations, and Kurt brokenly moaned and told Blaine to stop teasing him and get to it already.

Kurt winced slightly when Blaine pressed in, but soon enough, the burning, over-full feeling started to ebb away, leaving only pleasure so overwhelming it felt like liquid fire running through his veins, and a connection with Blaine he felt so deeply that it brought tears to his eyes and made him cling to Blaine fiercely.

Blaine cradled his face in his hands to kiss him, and noticed Kurt’s overflowing eyes with apprehension. “You’re crying! What’s wrong, love? Am I hurting you? Do you want me to…”

But Kurt tugged his boyfriend even closer and hissed, “Don’t you dare! This feels amazing. It’s just… Overwhelming, I guess. I’ve never… Never felt so close to you. I love you. I love you so much.”

Blaine’s fear melted away from his eyes and was replaced by the utter love and devotion that so often shone from them when Blaine looked at Kurt. “I love you too.”

They beamed at each other, savouring the moment. Then Kurt thrust up lightly. “Now please move.”

Blaine chuckled - “Bossy!” - but obediently started to move. And oh… That felt even better… Kurt made his hips dance to intensify the feeling, which in turn made Blaine gasp and go faster.

It didn’t take long for them both to tip over the edge with a soundless scream. Kurt’s heart was racing and his legs were shaking from the intensity of his orgasm, and when it passed, all he wanted to do was curl up and sleep some more. Luckily, Blaine seemed to be on the same page, lazily trailing his fingers through the mess on Kurt’s chest and suggesting a power nap before breakfast.

Kurt’s eyelids were so heavy he barely managed to keep them open long enough to nod at Blaine. “Okay.”

As he drifted off again, he felt Blaine’s hand ghost over him to carefully wipe him clean.

_Best boyfriend ever…_

K&B

The rest of the morning was spent working. Blaine worked on his lessons for the week to come, and told Kurt that Ryder would visit Hawthorne on Wednesday and talk to Blaine’s class about being dyslexic. Kurt agreed that was a splendid idea. Florian was sure to look up to Ryder no end, and be encouraged to find that being dyslexic did not stop Ryder from being successful.

Kurt checked his site for new orders, cut out the fabric for a couple of ascots and a bowtie and then worked on two designs for his spring line. He’d have to contact Adrienne, too, to find out if she had decided yet which of his dress ideas she preferred. He’d sketched a night-blue dress that would be covered with Swarovski crystals to imitate a starry night sky, a white dress with big blue flowers and a bright red slinky number that would emphasize her tiny waist. He hoped her prolonged silence didn’t mean she hated all three suggestions.

After lunch, they did some more packing. Kurt found treasure after treasure and shared the stories behind them with Blaine, who lapped it all up eagerly.

Kurt showed Blaine the mementoes he’d kept from his mother: Elizabeth’s perfume bottle, which he liked to sniff at whenever he missed his mother and wanted to feel close to her again, and a Christmas ornament Elizabeth and Kurt had made together one day, shortly before she died.

Blaine confessed that he still had an eau de cologne bottle from his maternal grandmother, who’d lived two streets away from him and babysat him on the nanny’s days off until she died when he was ten years old.

“She made the best cookies,” Blaine recalled wistfully. “And she sang and played the piano. I get that from her. From my mother’s side of the family. Grandma was always singing. While she was cooking. While she did the dishes. While she hung up the laundry. It was like her life came with a perpetual soundtrack. I loved that.”

They dug up keepsakes from Kurt’s time in LA as well: signed photographs of Kurt with various celebrities that had guest-starred on “A Tree Called Life”, a few props from the set that he had swiped before he left, and an origami booklet and a book with French poetry, both of which Sebastian had given to Kurt for his birthday.

Then they came across the tiara that had crowned Kurt prom queen in his junior year at McKinley. That story made Blaine gasp and tear up, though Kurt told him he was long over it, and had come out on top by claiming his crown and pretending to be absolutely fine with it.

Blaine still insisted on hugging Kurt, hard, and tearfully wishing he’d been there to make Kurt feel better, and to dance with him. He explained that prom, at Dalton, had consisted in inviting the girls from Dalton’s sister school, Crawford, and that he’d spent the night alternately singing his heart out with the Warblers and ducking behind curtains or under the refreshments table to avoid a gaggle of determined Crawford girls who kept making a beeline for him and stuffing notes with their phone numbers in his shirt pocket or asking him to dance or even trying to kiss him once they’d had some punch, which had been spiked by Thad. Kurt could picture that all too vividly, and it made him giggle.

Blaine laughed his head off at the hilarious photograph of Burt doing the Single Ladies dance with Brittany and Tina as Kurt’s graduation present. “I wish I could have seen that. It must have been PRICELESS.”

And then Kurt found his wedding scrapbook, and that led to the story of Burt and Carole’s whirlwind wedding, and how Finn and Kurt had become true brothers. Blaine admitted to envying Finn and Kurt’s uncomplicated relationship, his tone hovering between wistful and bitter. Kurt couldn’t help but pry and prod, succeeding in wheedling a promise out of Blaine that he would invite his mother and brother to their house-warming.

K&B

Their arrival at the Hudmel’s that evening led to loud and enthusiastic chanting from the children, who were quick to insist on the sleep-over they’d been promised, and Blaine was equally quick to tell them he’d cleared his whole Saturday and most of his Sunday for them, though he refused to divulge what was on the programme.

_He wouldn’t tell me either… I really wonder what he’s cooking up…_

While they all enjoyed a delicious meal, courtesy of Carole, Burt went into interrogation mode, and Kurt reluctantly told his father about Sebastian - well, as much of the story as he felt comfortable telling - and promised to introduce his childhood friend to Burt when Sebastian would come to Ohio.

That seemed to satisfy Burt for the moment being, and he went back to shoving food into his mouth silently. Rachel saw that as her opportunity to grill Kurt and Blaine about New York, and all the touristy stuff they had done. She got particularly excited when they described the karaoke outing with their friends, and Kurt helped her find a YouTube recording of the five of them singing. She pronounced Kurt’s friends very handsome, and Kurt readily offered to take her and Finn along to one of Elliot’s concerts in March.

K&B

Saturday morning started on a good note, with a delectable smell enticing Kurt to get up and head to the kitchen.

_Croissants? Blaine made us croissants? Oh, yum!_

Kurt revelled in the luxurious breakfast, and it put him in such a good mood that he didn’t even grit his teeth in frustration when Blaine once again denied him any knowledge of what their plans were that day.

They picked up two hyper kids, and Blaine announced they’d be walking to their first activity. The further they went from the town centre, the more certain Kurt became of their destination. And he approved. He approved wholeheartedly.

_It’s been so long. Too long. Wish Mercedes could be with us as well._

There must have been a star falling somewhere in the world when Kurt thought that, because when the four of them reached the street of the animal shelter, Sam and Mercedes stood there, waiting for them, and Kurt was so pleased to see them that he flat-out ran to Mercedes to engulf her in a big hug.

They went inside, and Sarah clapped her hands in glee when she realised there were cats and dogs to play with.

Peter and Millie, the people in charge of the shelter, recognised Kurt and Mercedes, and greeted them warmly. “Will you help us bathe the bigger dogs? You were always so good at that. You two make an excellent team!”

Mercedes laughed. “Nowadays, we team up differently. I’m with Sam, and Kurt’s with Blaine. We’re all good with dogs, though, I promise you, so let’s get these doggies washed!”


	116. So Happy For You Both

# Chapter 116: So Happy For You Both

 _"Even after everyone had gone home, the house was filled with the good time they’d had, as if it could linger in the air like the voices and music lingered in memory. Mina wrapped the memory up and put it in her heart; there was a quiet gladness, deep like a tree and tall in her."_ (Cynthia Voigt _, Come a Stranger)_

An hour later, all six of them were outside again, each of them walking a dog to the nearby park. It was a toss-up who was most excited about this, the dogs or the children. Toby proudly held on to the leash, a blissful smile on his face, and Sarah seemed determined to teach her dog the basic traffic rules for pedestrians, loudly instructing him to walk, not run, until he was in the park, and to stop at the kerb and check for passing cars before crossing the street.

Kurt and Mercedes shared an amused look and then focused on their own dogs again, that is, until Kurt caught a glint of something shiny on Mercedes’ ring finger and squealed so loudly that Blaine and Sam jumped a foot in the air and the dogs all started barking deafeningly.

“Mercedes?” Kurt asked as soon as he’d calmed down the dogs a bit. “Is there something you and Sam want to tell us?”

Mercedes and Sam looked at one another with slowly appearing smiles, and Sam snaked his arm around Mercedes’ waist and softly kissed her neck. Mercedes ducked her head and blushed slightly, her smile growing and growing.

“Yes, we do, actually,” Sam announced.

“We’re engaged,” Mercedes whispered, breathlessly and reverently, as if she could hardly believe what she said was real.

Kurt squealed again, slightly more quietly this time, took Mercedes’ hands and jumped up and down with her.

“Oh, sweetie, I’m so happy for you both!” Kurt exclaimed. “Oh, this is wonderful! Show me the ring!”

Mercedes held her hand out for Kurt to check out her engagement ring. To his satisfaction, Kurt saw that it was one of the options he had suggested to Sam during the bro night. It was gorgeous, obviously, and it suited his diva friend to a T.

Kurt was quick to approve and admire, and then wanted to know when the proposal had taken place and how it had happened. As they had arrived at the park by now, Mercedes handed her leash to Sam, and Kurt handed his to Blaine, and then they linked arms and walked away to talk undisturbed. Kurt was eager to hear the whole story, and thought by himself that being engaged was a good look on Mercedes. She just radiated happiness. She glowed with it, and that was lovely to see.

“It was on New Year’s Eve,” Mercedes told Kurt. “It was so romantic. Just the two of us. I’d been wondering why Sam turned down the invitation to Puck’s New Year’s Eve party, but when Sam said he’d had it with the partying for a while and wanted a quiet evening in, I’d agreed. We’ve got lots of social functions we have to attend in LA, and it does get tiring. That’s very true. So we stayed in, and watched the TV specials, and Sam had bought a lot of delicious finger food we could share, and real champagne, so we really enjoyed our quality time together. And then, when the countdown began, Sam set the tray on the coffee table and got down on one knee, and I just… I clapped my hand over my mouth and started to cry with joy before he even got the words out. That moment is such a blur in my head that I don’t even know if I remembered to say yes. I think I just laughed and cried and threw my arms around his neck and kissed him everywhere I could reach.”

Mercedes sniffed and blinked away a tear, and Kurt drew her in for a hug, swallowing away a lump in his throat himself. “Aww, that’s just the perfect start to the new year. Any ideas as to when the wedding will be?”

Mercedes shook her head. “We haven’t really thought that far yet. We’ve only just told our families, and now you. I’d like to get married in summer, though. So probably not this year, but the next.”

“Well, you know I’ll design the wedding dress of your dreams for you, sweetie,” Kurt beamed. “And if you need help with the wedding planning, you only have to ask.”

Mercedes let out an excited squeak. “I was hoping you’d say that. But won’t you be too busy designing for high society brides to spare time for me?”

“Never,” Kurt assured her, squeezing her arm for emphasis. “I’m my own boss, and you’re definitely my priority!”

“Thank you, boo,” Mercedes smiled tremulously. “I’d love for you to design my dress. I’ve seen what you’ve done for the other Glee girls. They were all pretty as princesses on their big day. You have this knack of creating dresses that fit like a glove and that play up a girl’s strengths and make her look like a goddess.”

“Well, that’s easy when you have such gorgeous girlfriends to design for,” Kurt remarked. “You do look like a goddess, sweetie, so all I’ll have to do is emphasize that. So tell me what you have in mind for your dress…”

But their discussion was cut off there and then by a dog howling and a child screaming and sobbing. Toby’s dog must have noticed something or someone interesting in the park and was tugging Toby along as fast as he could. Toby was struggling to keep up, crying and panicking. Blaine and Sam were having a hard time stopping their dogs and Sarah’s from following Toby’s at break-neck speed.

Kurt ran after Toby and grabbed the leash, trying to distract the dog with a squeaky toy he’d fished out of his pocket. As soon as the dog was happily playing with the toy, Kurt gathered the sobbing boy in his arms. “Time to head back to the shelter, I guess…”

“No need for that,” Mercedes assured Kurt, steering everyone in the direction of two benches. She dug into her purse and offered Toby a chocolate bar. “Now don’t go eating this all by yourself, mind you! Share it with your sister!”

Toby’s sobs immediately quieted, and as soon as Kurt crouched to set him down again, he clambered onto the bench. He held out the chocolate bar to Kurt. “Open! Open!”

“How do you ask nicely?” Kurt reminded him.

“Please,” Sarah answered.

_So like Rachel, that girl. I bet she’s every teacher’s pet…_

Kurt fixed Toby with a stare. “I asked Toby.”

“Please,” Toby said impatiently, shoving the bar into Kurt’s face.

Kurt opened the wrapper and broke the chocolate bar in half, handing Toby and Sarah each their part, only for them to start squabbling about who deserved the bigger half. Apparently, Kurt hadn’t broken the bar exactly in the middle.

_Aaaaargh! Figures… Okay, how are we going to solve this?_

“Toby’s the one who got scared, so he gets the biggest piece,” Kurt decided. “End of story, or you’ll be getting no chocolate at all, Miss Sarah Barbra Hudson. I will eat your half of the bar.”

That shut Sarah up all right. She looked so shocked it was comical, and wasted no time taking a big bite.

“Want me to take over your leash while you’re eating?” Kurt offered, but she shook her head and held on to her leash.

Mercedes, bless her, also had hand wipes in her purse, which came in very handy to clean Toby’s mouth and hands when he’d finished his chocolatey treat.

After that, they walked through the park until all the dogs had done their business and it had all been neatly scooped up and disposed of, and then went back to the shelter. Toby didn’t want anything more to do with his dog, and whined that his legs were tired, so Kurt ended up taking him on his shoulders, and Mercedes took Toby’s dog.

Once the dogs had been returned to the shelter, Blaine brought them to a small Italian restaurant nearby to have lunch together. Kurt had never eaten there before, nor did he know of its existence. He had to hand it to Blaine, though: it was a splendid find. The pasta and sea food dishes they ordered proved to be absolutely delicious.

“Is this place new?” Kurt asked Blaine.

“Hmm?” Blaine hummed distractedly, while preventing a few spaghetti strands coated in tomato sauce from falling onto Toby’s white T-shirt. “Oh… Yes. Yes, it is, very new. It opened just a month ago. You know my friend Nick, right? Well, his mom’s Italian, and Carlo, one of her nephews, fell in love with an American girl when he visited the Duval’s a few summers ago. And… Well… Long story short, they got married and now they’ve started a restaurant here. Nick’s mom advised them to establish their business in Westerville rather than here in Lima, but Marissa - that’s Carlo’s wife - is from Lima and wants to stay here because her father isn’t in the best of health. So I promised to come and eat here every now and then when I’m in Lima, to support them.”

“Well, judging by the quality of the food, they should do fine here,” Kurt remarked. “This is so good. So much better than anything you can get at Breadstix. I’m going to tell my dad to take Carole here for their anniversary.”

“This is the best Italian food I’ve ever eaten,” Mercedes agreed with a satisfied sigh, and Sam nodded, shovelling pasta into his mouth at a remarkable speed.

Kurt and Blaine ended up splitting tiramisu for dessert, and Kurt couldn’t help but moan at its perfect creaminess. “We are so coming here again. This tastes like heaven!”


	117. Feeling Blessed

# Chapter 117: Feeling Blessed

“ _He took her hand and they started walking toward the baggage claim. They didn't say anything to each other. They swung their held hands like little kids, like they believed anything could happen, like they might take off soaring into the air. All the things you wanted to happen could happen. Why not?_ ” (Ann Brashares, _Sisterhood Everlasting_ )

At the animal shelter, they received a warm welcome, especially Kurt and Mercedes, who’d volunteered there before, even though that was years ago.

They were given the task of bathing the dogs. Blaine was quick to instruct Sarah and Toby to stay out of the way so as not to get their clothes wet - “I’ve brought spare T-shirts for the grown-ups, but not for you, so you two will be in charge of the drying, okay?”

They worked fast and efficiently. Both couples teamed up for the grooming of the dogs and the baths, and then Blaine and Sam held the dogs while Kurt and Mercedes helped the children dry them.

Only Blaine and Sam got very wet in the process, and had to put on one of the spare T-shirts Blaine had brought. Blaine caught a glint of heat in Kurt’s eyes while he was stripping, and slowed down a bit, in spite of the cold. He was rewarded with a dirty kiss, and strong arms wrapping themselves around him and rubbing up and down over his back until he felt warm again.

They took the dogs out for a walk next, and Blaine struck up a conversation with Sam about the Batmobiles in Batman film adaptations. They ranked them from best to worst and had just started describing their ideal Batmobile when Kurt let out a blood-curdling shriek. Both Sam and Blaine started violently and all of the dogs voiced their displeasure loudly. Once they had calmed down a little, Kurt pointed at a ring Mercedes was wearing and demanded an explanation, nearly vibrating out of his skin with excitement.

_Oh, they’re engaged, are they? How wonderful!_

After congratulating both Sam and Mercedes, Kurt started bombarding his best friend with questions.

A look passed between Sam and Blaine and they nodded at each other.

Sam took over the leash Mercedes was holding and whispered, “Go tell him all about it. I know you want to!”

Blaine accepted the leash to the dog Kurt was walking. “I’ll take care of your dog for you. You just focus on Mercedes’ exciting news.”

Kurt flashed him a brilliant smile, looped his arm through Mercedes’, and they walked away together, already fully absorbed in their conversation, heads close and eyes glittering with elation.

“Congrats, man,” Blaine said to Sam, clapping him on the back.

Sam beamed at him. “Thanks, dude. Kurt helped, you know. I would never have known what ring to pick. And he gave me tips on how to create the right atmosphere, too. I was so ready to ask her that I would just have blurted it out any old time, but Mercedes deserves better than that. So Kurt’s advice helped me out a lot.”

“So how long have you two been together?” Blaine asked.

“Well, it started in high school, but we were kind of off and on. We had a summer fling, and then my family moved away, and Mercedes starting dating Shane, and wouldn’t take me back when I returned to Ohio. But by the end of the year, we were together again. And then Mercedes graduated, a year before me. That was tough. She went to LA to record an album, and we tried to stay in touch, but after a few months, that kind of petered out because she was just so busy all the time. And then, the summer after I graduated, I got discovered by a modelling agency when I went to Comic-Con in San Diego dressed as Captain America. It was the weirdest thing. I stepped into a Starbucks for coffee and a muffin, and the next thing I knew, I had coffee all over me. This teeny-tiny woman, who was gabbing on the phone really loudly, and gesturing, and hurrying out of the shop, had walked right into me. And then she started cussing me out as though it was my fault, so I told her that she should have looked where she was going. She started arguing, and then froze when she took in my costume, and looked me up and down, and she actually smiled. She handed me a business card and told me to come to her San Diego office that same day if I had an interest in modelling. And I did, so I went to see Coffee Lady that afternoon. Long story short, I ended up in LA, and reconnected with Mercedes, and since then, we’ve been going strong for - what is it? - six years now. We moved in together after just a few months. I hated shacking up with my fellow models, and Mercedes had plenty of room, and we were together anyway, so we thought, why wait?”

“Totally,” Blaine agreed. “Kurt and I are moving in together as well. We bought a house in Westerville.”

“Really? Oh man, that’s great!” Sam held his fist out for Blaine to bump it, and Blaine did, grinning from ear to ear.

“I’m glad Kurt’s found you,” Sam mused. “He’s been alone for so long, while all of us were pairing up and getting married and having children, and he’s always so glad for us and so supportive, but he must have felt like the odd man out. You’re good for him. He smiles more and opens up more, and he seems really happy. Must be serious about you, too, if he’s bought a house with you. Don’t go breaking his heart, okay?”

“I would never,” Blaine promised Sam solemnly. “He’s it for me. And I know it’s crazy because I’ve only known him for a few months, but I can see us growing old together. And I want that. I want everything with him. A house, kids, pets, getting married and having the same family name… You name it, I want it. And that should freak me out, but it doesn’t. It feels so right, because it’s Kurt.”

“I know,” Sam sighed. “Mercedes wants to wait until we’re married to have sex. And, well, I’m not a virgin. I’ve had plenty of relationships and plenty of sex, too, and I love it. But, you know, even though it’s hard sometimes, it’s totally worth waiting for with Mercedes. Because she’s… I don’t know… Being with her is so different from being with Quinn or Santana or Brittany or Penny. It’s just… more. She’s the one. I know it. And that’s why I don’t mind waiting, though people might think it’s weird.”

“I don’t think it’s weird,” Blaine answered softly. “I totally get it.”

Sam shot him a crooked smile, and opened his mouth to say something, but just then, loud barking distracted him.

Toby’s dog had noticed a squirrel, and was chasing it, tugging Toby along with him at a higher speed than his little legs could manage. Toby screamed in fright, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. The two dogs Blaine was holding strained at their leashes, eager to follow, and yowled and barked excitedly.

Blaine was torn between holding his dogs in check and racing after Toby to save him, so he was very relieved that Kurt noticed Toby’s predicament straightaway and tore after him.

Minutes later, both Toby and his dog had calmed down, courtesy of a chocolate bar and a toy, respectively, and they toured around the park and then headed back to the animal shelter. Toby refused to walk his dog any more. In fact, he refused to walk, period. Kurt argued with him for a while, but ended up capitulating and carrying him on his shoulders. Toby held onto Kurt’s hair, and Kurt, who usually was so fussy about his coif, didn’t so much as wince, but only wound his arms securely around Toby’s legs and then spun around to make Toby whoop and laugh.

Sarah laughed and made a pirouette of her own, nearly falling over the dog leash in the process.

Kurt steadied her before she could tumble to the ground, and Sarah, still in the best of moods, started to belt out a Christmas song, prompting the others to join in.

Blaine was suddenly struck by a feeling of family and connection so strong that it brought tears to his eyes.

_This… This is everything I’ve wanted for so long. I feel so blessed to have been accepted into Kurt’s family. And I can’t wait until we get started on our own._

For lunch, Blaine took everyone to Milano Café, which was owned by Nick’s family and offered a scrumptious selection of authentic Italian food.

Kurt seemed surprised that Blaine knew a restaurant in Lima Kurt had no knowledge of, but clearly enjoyed the food to the highest, causing Blaine to shift uncomfortably in his chair when his boyfriend started moaning enthusiastically.

When they stepped outside again, Blaine asked: “Well, are you ready for our next adventure?” and got a resounding “Yes!” in response.


	118. Singalongs and Ghost Stories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story Blaine tells in this chapter is "Het guitige spookje Agatha", by Clara Timmermans, translated from Dutch into English by yours truly ;-) Feel free to skip the story if that's not your thing, though I hope you'll love it as much as I do.

# Chapter 118: Singalongs and Ghost Stories

“ _Writing, painting, singing- it cannot stop everything. Cannot halt death in its tracks. But perhaps it can make the pause between death’s footsteps sound and look and feel beautiful, can make the space of waiting a place where you can linger without as much fear. For we are all walking each other to our deaths, and the journey there between footsteps makes up our lives._ ” (Ally Condie, _Reached_ )

Sam and Mercedes smiled at Blaine conspiratorially, waved at Kurt and the children and made for their car, which they had parked in front of the animal shelter.

Blaine steered Kurt and Sarah and Toby in the direction of Tina’s house. Tina was already waiting outside with Michael Jr. and Henry, who jumped up and down excitedly.

“Hey guys,” Tina beamed, hugging first Blaine and then Kurt. “Happy New Year! It’s good to see you! Haven’t heard much of you during Christmas break.”

Blaine had the grace to look abashed. Usually, he’d meet up with Tina at least once during the holidays, and call to wish her Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Now, he’d made do with just a text, and he’d only thought of including Tina and her kids into his planning for the afternoon’s entertainment when he realised he needed a car equipped with booster seats to take Sarah and Toby to the hospital. And Tina had a minivan and spare booster seats she used to ferry her first-graders to and from the swimming pool once a month, so he’d quickly shot her a text. Luckily, she thought it was a great idea and agreed to bring them to the hospital and sing with them, if Mikey and Henry could come too.

“We’ve been rather busy, Tay-Tay,” Blaine explained. Then, when she oohed and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, he hastened to add, “No, not that! We went to New York! And we bought a house together!”

Tina cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes in confusion. “You and Kurt bought a house in New York?”

Kurt giggled and sighed dreamily, “I wish!”

“No, no, no, not in New York!” Blaine assured Tina. “The house is in Westerville.”

Tina nodded. “That makes more sense. Moving in together, eh?”

Blaine beamed at her. “Yes, we are!”

“Guess you’re wishing you let me set you two up long before now, don’t you?” Tina prodded.

Blaine thought that over and shook his head. “I think we met at exactly the right time. Though I am very glad you introduced us and then conveniently threw a Halloween Party.”

Kurt hummed in assent, snaking his arm around Blaine’s waist. “Thanks for that, Tina. Though Rachel claims she was our match-maker, sending me to that book fair with Sarah, and then coming with me and making Blaine and I exchange phone numbers the next day.”

Tina threw her head back and laughed. “Rachel couldn’t help meddling, could she? Why am I not surprised? Well, I’m happy to take joint credit for getting you two together.”

They strapped all the children into their seats and Tina drove them to the hospital, where Sam and Mercedes were already waiting for them. Sam had his guitar slung over his shoulder.

Kurt’s eyes shone. “We’re going to sing to the children in the paediatrics wing again?”

“We are,” Blaine nodded, and Kurt squeezed his hand and pecked him on the cheek as they stepped inside.

Carole was on duty this time, and she welcomed them cheerfully, telling them that the children were already waiting in the big playroom.

The afternoon passed swiftly, with a rousing singalong, followed by story time. Blaine chose to tell a funny ghost story this time:

_One day, the count came home with a punnet of wild strawberries, which he had picked himself in the forest. The countess washed them and sprinkled sugar over them. The young lady Agatha fetched some choice leaves from the herb garden to mix them with the strawberries and enhance their taste._

_All three of them enjoyed the strawberries to the highest, but unfortunately, a moment later, they sat dead behind their plates._

_Whose fault was it? Had the count picked poisonous strawberries? Had the countess not washed them properly? Had the young lady Agatha fetched the wrong herbs from the garden? Who’s to know… Since the Reaper did not know for sure, he decided that the whole family was to stay on at the “Dragonfly” hunting lodge as ghosts._

_As ghosts, they led the same carefree existence at the lodge as they had when they were alive._

_The hunting lodge didn’t stay intact. The slate roof leaked, and in the fall the rainwater seeped through to the lower hall. Moreover, the clock tower started to slant a little, the weather vane ran away with itself and the iron gate got rusty._

_None of that mattered to the ghost family, and especially Agatha didn’t care at all. She’d remained a holy mischief. Too much so: no matter how hard her parents tried to turn her into a really scary ghost, all their effort was in vain._

_Mother Ghost gave Agatha groaning and moaning lessons; Father Ghost taught her to howl and rattle chains._

_The lessons never took. Agatha could help loudly singing an upbeat song on the stroke of midnight, for instance._

_“For shame, Agatha!” her father scolded. “Ghosts do not sing cheerful songs.”_

_Agatha floated away, laughing, and let the music box play during tea time, let the castanets rattle merrily and tolled the bell so playfully sometimes that it sounded like a carillon tune._

_To top it off, Agatha kept refusing to wear her white gown, and she appeared in the middle of the day wearing pinkish shrouds, tied together at the top with a big butterfly bow._

_This meant that nobody was really afraid of the ghost family, and the hunting lodge was sold to a family with a very spoilt son. The boy was called Arthur, and he didn’t like living at the hunting lodge. He preferred the city, where he could skip school and play marbles on the street and tease the girls by sticking his gum into their long braids._

_Now, he was angry. He hated the moors, he hated the secluded castle, he hated the garden, he hated everything._

_He chased away the owls Agatha raised in the tower, he pulled out all the flowers in the garden and he threw the stone Cupid statue that adorned the landing into the lake._

_“You go ahead and scare that boy witless,” Father Ghost said to Agatha. “That’s the quickest way of getting rid of these tenants.”_

_Agatha promised to do so, and at midnight on the dot, she hurried to the room where Arthur slept. He was covered up to his nose by his blankets. A lock of hair hung over his forehead and the tips of his toes peeked out from under his covers. He didn’t look like an angry boy at all when he was sleeping so peacefully. Agatha forgot about her terrorising lessons and started to tickle Arthur’s toes. Arthur snorted with laughter, and so did Agatha. The sound travelled through the corridors of the hunting lodge. Arthur’s parents came to his room three times to tell him to be quiet. Each time, Agatha tickled his toes. Arthur’s father got really angry and forbade him to step outside the following day. His mother added that he would have to practise playing the piano the whole afternoon._

_Agatha, who loved music, didn’t consider that a punishment at all._

_“My nightly teasing failed,” she said quietly._

_She crept onto the carpet next to Arthur’s bed and slept. Well, insofar as ghost sleep - it’s more like resting._

_The following afternoon, Arthur sat on the piano stool in the music room and drummed on the piano keys: do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-si-do._

_“I’ll sabotage his fun,” Agatha murmured. She hadn’t even noticed that Arthur hated his piano lessons._

_She floated up to the clock tower and started to tug at the rope._

_Ding-ding-ding! sounded the clapper on the bell._

_Arthur listened to it in bewilderment._

_“It’s the wind,” his mother said. “Go on practising on the piano.”_

_Again, the boy played his scales, and again, Agatha chimed the little clock._

_Ding-ding-ding!_

_Agatha started chiming the bell to the rhythm of the piano music; that sounded lovely, and Arthur enjoyed playing the piano like this. It was like a clock and piano duet. Arthur’s mother had to force the boy to stop playing._

_Then, Agatha realised that her haunting had failed again._

_“Third time lucky,” Agatha thought._

_She decided to be tough on Arthur this time._

_It was Sunday, and Lisa, the maid, baked a fruit tart. As usual, she put the tart in front of an open window to cool off. Arthur sneaked closer on tiptoe so as to taste the tart. Agatha, who’d been on the look-out for him, blew the seeds of a dandelion into his face._

_“Atishoo!”_

_He fell with his face into the tart._

_“Oh, my delicious tart!” Lisa lamented. “You naughty boy! Look, what a waste. I can’t possibly serve a tart like that. Go on, take that waster with you. Clear out!”_

_Arthur walked in to the garden, pleased as Punch, and gobbled up the tart greedily, one piece at a time._

_He licked his lips like a cat._

_“Now I will do some proper haunting,” Agatha raged, furious that her teasing had been to that horrible Arthur’s advantage again._

_And Agatha appeared!_

_She showed herself to the boy, and ghosts don’t do that too quickly. To her great displeasure, Arthur wasn’t at all scared. On the contrary, he roared with laughter._

_“Aren’t you scared?” Agatha asked. “I’m a ghost, a real ghost.”_

_To prove her point, she made herself look fat and skinny, long and slim, short and broad. Arthur, however, shrieked with laughter._

_“Who would tremble and shake because of a pink ghost?” he hiccupped between guffaws, tears of mirth rolling down his cheeks._

_That morning, Agatha had been disobedient again. Now, she looked like a fool in her pink shroud, while her white gown was slung carelessly over the rafters._

_“There’s no need to look so upset, Agatha. Pink suits you, and you’re the cutest ghost I’ve ever seen. I hated coming to live here, and that’s why I did all that horrible stuff. With you, I’ll have fun. Do you want to be friends? You managed to get me an entire tart to myself.”_

_“Okay”, Agatha nodded. She kind of liked Arthur._

_“Ask me whatever you like. From now on, I’m your friend,” Arthur declared, and he grabbed Agatha’s hand, only instead of her hand, he caught the rake._

_“You can’t grab me,” Agatha laughed. “But we can talk together and play games, and if nobody can see me, I’ll appear for you. There IS something you can do for me. I love to swing, but the swing has been broken for years. Ghosts can’t repair anything.”_

_“I’ll fix it for you, Agatha.”_

_The next days, Lisa caught Arthur talking to himself - or so she thought - several times. And when she looked out the window one night, she saw Arthur pushing an empty swing. She warned her employers, who called the doctor immediately._

_“No fever, it’s just pranks,” he decided after his check-up._

_Then, the village teacher was appointed to give Arthur extra lessons after school. Every day, the man came to the hunting lodge and gave Arthur lots of exercises and tasks to do. Every time, the papers blew away, even when there was no wind. The sheets full of questions fluttered out of the window over the lake into the forest, and stuck to the tree branches like white doves._

_“Who’s doing this?” the teacher asked worriedly, since he feared for his job._

_“Agatha!” Arthur cheered, but everyone else shrugged._

_One day at noon, the whole family sat at the table and waited for the fish dish Lisa was about to serve._

_“I don’t like fish”, Arthur grumbled._

_“Fish is very healthy,” his mother said._

_“I still don’t like it,” Arthur continued to whine._

_“All the same, you’ll eat it,” his father decided._

_Lisa came in with a dish full of fish. She blushed with pride, since the dish was such a success. The yellow sauce was made with white wine and capers._

_It had taken a lot of work to rid the fish of its skin and bones, but it had been worth it._

_She proudly brought the dish to the table, and then… Well, then Lisa tripped over something she didn’t see. There was nothing in the way: no rug, no shoe or slipper, none of Arthur’s toy trains or cars. Yet Lisa tripped just before she could put the dish onto the table._

_The fish Arthur didn’t like lay between the shards like a nasty mush._

_“Agatha”, Arthur whispered gratefully._

_Arthur did the weirdest things. He raced throught the corridors, laughing, he sat in the attic for hours on end, he crept into the cellar and he dreamt out loud. One night, they found him sitting on the roof-gutter. He sat there calmly, swinging his legs and whistling a tune._

_“This is getting out of hand,” his father said. “We’re sending him to a boarding school.”_

_However much Arthur wept and pleaded, he couldn’t change his parents’ minds. His heart sinking, he saw how his mother and Lisa packed his luggage. Twelve pairs of socks went into it, a dozen shirts and pairs of pants, a stack of handkerchiefs and of sweaters. Arthur understood that he wouldn’t be home before winter, and grew quiet and listless._

_But… Who threw the trunk off the carriage that would take Arthur to boarding school? Afterwards, the coachman told everyone, trembling, that he felt how the carriage started to lurch violently just when he drove past the lake. The poor man jumped out and the carriage fell into the lake._

_“Agatha!” Arthur sang for joy, because now he wouldn’t be able to leave. Odd things happened at the hunting lodge. Arthur played dangerous games without ever getting hurt. He slid of the banisters but didn’t fall, because someone always seemed to catch him. He won every tennis match, because the ball always ended up against his racket. And when he played cards, it seemed like he always knew what cards the others had._

_So the years went by._

_One day, Arthur’s father and mother decided that he had to get engaged. Was there a better choice than the lovely notary’s daughter? She always wore nice dresses and drank her tea with her pinky finger in the air._

_However much Arthur protested, it didn’t help. A big garden party was organised, and the engagement rings were ready, in a velvet box._

_The day of the engagement was very sunny, and all the ladies wore their lightest outfits. The gentlemen fanned themselves with the menu, on which all the delicacies were mentioned that they could go fetch at a separate table. Everyone waited with bated breath for the notary and his daughter to arrive. And there they came. The girl looked lovely in a pale blue dress. She stepped up to Arthur and… Oh my goodness! Later, she would claim that someone pushed her and made her slip and fall into the frog pond. She quickly ran home, since she understood that nobody would want to kiss a girl covered in frogspawn. She was never seen at the hunting lodge again._

_“Agatha!” Arthur exclaimed joyfully._

_In the meantime, Agatha had grown up as well, and had become a lovely ghost girl._

_Arthur only had eyes for her._

_Together, they rambled around the moors, walked in the lanes, rowed a boat across the lake and played hide-and-seek between the shrubs._

_Arthur’s family and friends stayed away._

_“He’s seeing ghosts,” they said._

_Girls avoided him._

_“He’s in love with a ghost”, they scoffed, since he looked right through them and smiled at a corner where nobody stood._

_“Our son is an eccentric,” Arthur’s parents complained, and they moved back to the city._

_Arthur stayed at the hunting lodge all by himself and wanted nothing more than to be a ghost himself. He tried to become translucent._

_He would only eat flower petals, and he only drank the dew that beaded on the grass in the morning._

_He walked around in a white, hand-woven shirt and cotton trousers. He became really pale and thin._

_One morning, the time had come. Arthur sat dead at his lunch: three sunflower seeds._

_“I’m not letting him go free,” the Reaper thought. “I’m making Arthur a ghost, just in case.”_

_When you see the hunting lodge now, you will soon discover it’s not a normal castle. Hundreds of flowers grow in the garden. In the clock tower live countless owls. Sometimes, you can hear clocks chime merrily, and bursts of laughter make the birch leaves tremble._

_The Cupid statue stands on the landing to greet guests that never come. In winter, you need to look at the lake. On the ice, you will see two entwined hearts in which an elegant ‘A’ is written, by an invisible couple of skaters. If you don’t believe me, come and see for yourself. I’ll show you the way. Only, be careful: you might be pelted with snowballs, since Agatha and Arthur have always stayed as mischievous as ever._

They ended their visit after the story. Some of the hospitalised children had already fallen asleep, and the others were well on their way to the Land of Nod. Sarah was still very awake, but Toby was pretty drowsy, so Kurt and Blaine said goodbye to Carole, Sam and Mercedes and followed Tina, who was carrying a snoozy Henry, to the minivan.

“That was fun,” Tina remarked as they all settled into the car. “Reminds me of that time we sang at the homeless shelter with the New Directions. We should totally do this again.”

“Kurt and I have,” Blaine answered. “I was with Kurt’s family for Christmas, and we all went to the hospital to sing Christmas carols with the children. It was great. But I get what you’re saying. Maybe we could make this a monthly event. One Saturday a month. We could spread the word among the New Directioners. I bet there are others who would like to come along too.”

“Good idea,” Tina approved. “I’ll draft an e-mail to send to everyone.”

Tina looked in the rearview mirror and groaned. “Oh, no, Henry has fallen asleep. Now I’ll have to wake him up in five minutes and he’ll either be grumpy for rest of the day or annoyingly peppy because of this power nap he took.”

Blaine looked over at Sarah and Toby, and saw that Toby had nodded off too.

_Right… No worries, I’ll deal with whatever humour Toby’s in. I’ve got lots of tricks up my sleeve, and he likes me._


	119. A Dark Horse

# Chapter 119: A Dark Horse

“ _I'm so thankful for friendship. It beautifies life so much._ ” (L.M. Montgomery, _Anne of Avonlea_ )

The next activity on Blaine’s programme proved to be singalong and story time in the paediatrics wing of the Lima hospital. Blaine had somehow managed to recruit Tina and her sons as well, and when their whole party arrived at the hospital, Carole and her colleague didn’t seem surprised in the least, so Blaine must have tipped off Carole, too.

They didn’t sing Christmas carols this time. Instead, they went through a medley of nursery rhymes and Disney songs, everyone singing their own version of them, and some of the lyrics the children came up with made Kurt splutter and hiccup and shriek with laughter. No-one even noticed, since they were all laughing anyway, singing, clapping their hands, dancing insofar as they could and generally having a splendid time.

Then, when they got tired, they settled down to listen to Blaine tell a story as only he knew how. It was a funny story this time, about a ghost girl with a quicksilver quality to her. For a ghost, she wasn’t scary at all, but she was lively and interesting and quick-witted, and Kurt fell in love with the character even faster than her storybook love interest did.

The story marked the ending of their afternoon of entertaining the hospitalised children, many of whom were asleep already, or almost. Kurt and Blaine hugged Carole and said goodbye to the children, to Laura, the other nurse, and to Sam and Mercedes, and then followed Tina to the minivan, Blaine carrying Toby.

Tina professed to have liked their afternoon activity, and Blaine proposed to make it a regular thing, involving all the New Directioners. Kurt found himself nodding appreciatively, and Tina endorsed the plan as well.

Then Tina noticed that Henry had fallen asleep. Alarmed, Kurt whipped his head around to check on Toby, and yes, he had joined Henry in slumber. Kurt sighed when he saw that. Toby was usually insufferable when woken after too short a nap.

When they arrived at Tina’s house, however, Blaine simply said, “Let me,” and proceeded to wake first Henry and then Toby so calmly and gently that they weren’t at all upset to be woken.

Tina looked impressed, and invited them all to stay for supper. “It won’t be much, just soup and sandwiches, but after seeing our child whisperer in action here, I kind of want him to stick around to make Henry eat. Otherwise, he’ll just whine that he’s not hungry and wants to watch Paw Patrol.”

Blaine worked his magic at supper, too, turning the simple sandwiches into cartoon figures the children exclaimed over with well-placed grated carrots, watercress, cherry tomatoes and cucumber slices. Both Henry and Toby ate without grumbling, and then all four children flung themselves onto their bellies in front of the television, leaving the grown-ups to talk about Sam and Mercedes’ engagement and about New York.

Tina had noticed Mercedes’ ring as well, but hadn’t had the opportunity to ask Mercedes about it, and now she badgered Kurt for the full story, which Kurt was only too happy to tell.

Tina sighed in satisfaction when she’d heard the whole story. “That’s a lovely proposal. And it’s about time, too. They’ve been together for ages. I remember Sam moping at the beginning of our senior year because Mercedes had left for LA, and then the year after that, they came to my Halloween party together, and they were both so happy they were practically floating. Yes, this has been a long time coming. So when are they getting married?”

Kurt explained that Mercedes wanted a summer wedding, so it would probably take another year and a half before they were married, since there was so much to plan.

“Hmm, I don’t know,” Tina disagreed. “I got married just six months after I got engaged, so it’s possible. And remember Burt and Carole’s wedding? You put that together in - what was it? Two weeks?”

“True,” Kurt nodded. “But neither you and Mike nor my parents are celebrities. Mercedes and Sam are, so this wedding will have lots of media coverage and will have to be planned meticulously so as to turn out absolutely perfect.”

Tina shrugged but offered no further comment, asking instead what had prompted them to go to New York during the holiday break. Kurt told her they’d gone to visit his friends Sebastian and Elliot, who’d be touring around the United States soon, and he promised to take her along to one of their concerts. “Mike, too, if your parents or in-laws wouldn’t mind looking after the children.”

Tina beamed. “I’d love that. It’s been ages since I’ve been to a concert. Are they any good?”

“Very!” Kurt assured her. “Elliot is an amazing performer, with a fabulous range. Sebastian is a good singer, but not as stellar as Elliot. He’s a great dancer, though he can’t hold a candle to Mike, of course. Then again, who can?”

Tina laughed. “True. How come I’ve never even heard of those friends of yours before?”

Kurt hesitated. “I… I didn’t stay in touch with them. I hadn’t seen them for many years.”

Tina tilted her head to the side with a shrewd look in her eyes. “Bad break-up, huh?”

“Not where Elliot is concerned,” Kurt clarified. “But for Sebastian… Yes, that about sums it up.”

“And now that Elliot’s dating Sebastian, you feel obliged to be friendly to your ex?” Tina surmised. “That stinks.”

Kurt shook his head. “No… No, no! You got it all wrong. I was the one who introduced them to one another, actually. And there are no hard feelings between Seb and me now. We’ve talked it out. And for the record, we were never in a relationship. It was a crush and then an unfortunate one-night stand.”

Tina’s eyebrows went up. Way up. “Wow, Kurt! You had a one-night stand? Mr I’m-Holding-Out-For-Mr-Right-Even-If-He-Never-Shows-Up?”

Kurt’s eyes flashed. “For your information, that was the first and only time I ever had casual sex. I was young, I was drunk and I was in love - or at least I thought so.”

Tina held out her hands in a placating gesture. “Okay, okay, no need to jump at my throat. I’m not judging you, I swear. I’m just… Just surprised, that’s all. You’re a dark horse, Kurt! Anyway, tell me about this house that you bought together.”

That was a much nicer subject to discuss, and Blaine and Kurt talked Tina’s ears off about the house until Mike came home. Mike greeted them cheerfully enough, but all three of them started when they saw how late it was, and noticed that the children all lay curled around one another on the rug in front of the television, sound asleep.

“Uh-oh,” Kurt whispered. “I got so distracted chatting with you that I kind of forgot we had Sarah and Toby with us. Please don’t mention this to Rachel or she’ll never let us babysit again.”

Tina giggled and promised not to breathe a word about it.

Blaine picked up Toby and cradled him in his arms, and Kurt moved to lift up Sarah, but as she was a light sleeper, she woke up the moment he touched her, and after a moment of disorientation, she yawned hugely and insisted on walking to Kurt’s house.

They hugged Tina and Mike goodbye and went home. While Sarah put her pyjamas on and brushed her teeth, Kurt carefully exchanged Toby’s clothes for his pyjamas and made sure to put a diaper on him this time. Toby never even woke up, so Kurt decided that Toby could do without brushing his teeth just this once - he would make sure to brush them thoroughly first thing in the morning.

Blaine tucked in Sarah while Kurt did the same for Toby.

“Goodnight, Uncle Blaine, Uncle Kurt,” Sarah whispered. “Can I have a goodnight kiss?”

They both kissed her goodnight and wished her sweet dreams, and then stepped out of the guest room, leaving the door ajar. Blaine weaved his fingers through Kurt’s and smiled rapturously, peeking into the room once more to check on the children. Then he let out a small sigh and followed Kurt to their own bedroom.

Kurt felt the corners of his lips turn upwards. Blaine was so transparent sometimes. Kurt rubbed his thumb over Blaine’s and leaned in to whisper into Blaine’s ear, “One day, sweetie. One day.”


	120. A Hairy Problem

# Chapter 120: A Hairy Problem

“ _When you get tired of worrying and mourning your horse and trying not to be afraid, tell me and I'll do it for you a while so you can shut your eyes and sleep peaceful._ ” (Shannon Hale, _The Goose Girl_ )

A downside to having little children sleep over at your place was definitely that they didn’t always sleep through the night. It seemed to Kurt that he’d only just closed his eyes when he was woken by a crying child.

Blaine grunted and made to get up, but Kurt put a hand on his shoulder and croaked, “I’m on it.”

Kurt hurried to the guest room to find that Sarah had inadvertently hogged the blankets, so that Toby had woken up from the cold. Toby was shivering and sobbing. Kurt gathered him in his arms and rubbed over his back to get him warm again. It took some time for Toby to quiet down. When Toby’s tears finally subsided into the occasional sniffle and hiccup, Kurt sat him down on the bed.

“Let’s get you a blanket of your own,” Kurt said, thanking his lucky stars that all the spare bed linens were stored in the guest room cupboard.

Kurt tucked Toby back in and was about to leave again when Toby grabbed his hand and whispered, “Uncle Kurt… It’s so dark in here. I’m scared. I want a nightlight. Please?”

_A nightlight? Oh wait, while we were packing, I came across that lava lamp… That would do very well as a nightlight._

Kurt fetched the lamp in the living room, stubbing his toe against his desk and stifling a curse. He plugged the lamp in close to the bed in the guest room, and wished Toby goodnight again.

He padded off to his own bedroom and sank into bed again with a rapturous sigh. Blaine started awake. “Brr, you’re cold!”

“Warm me up, please?” Kurt asked, his eyes already closing again, and Blaine wrapped himself around Kurt, his body heat pleasantly sinking into Kurt.

_Oh… That feels so… good…_

The next time Kurt woke, it was half past seven in the morning, and he could hear Blaine and the children singing.

Kurt sighed deeply, yawned and stretched and trudged to the bathroom like a zombie.

When Kurt stepped into the kitchen half an hour later, impeccably dressed and coiffed but only marginally more awake, Blaine’s chipper greeting made him wince.

“Coffee?” Kurt croaked, and Blaine hastened to fill him a mug and hand it over.

Kurt drank deeply.

_Aaah… That’s better…_

“When did they wake up?” Kurt inquired.

“At a quarter past six,” Blaine shrugged.

Kurt shuddered, thankful that Blaine had gotten up and let Kurt sleep in.

Sarah and Toby were sitting in a blanket fort watching Tarzan. Sarah’s hair was braided beautifully, with a braid shaped like a flower on top of her head.

“Did you braid Sarah’s hair?” Kurt asked rather incredulously.

“I did,” Blaine smiled. “I watched some tutorials on YouTube and practised.”

“You practised? On whom?”

“Well, I incorporated it into one of my lessons, and we did the girls’ hair and then switched to making friendship bracelets. It’s more or less the same principle. I used Tina and Juliet and Chelsea as guinea pigs as well. By now, they don’t so much as bat an eye when I run my fingers through their hair and start braiding it at lunch time.”

Kurt laughed. “Well, Mr Anderson, it seems you will never cease to surprise me. I’m very impressed!”

Blaine doffed an imaginary hat with a flourish and bowed. “Blaine Anderson, Jack of all trades, at your service.”

“You’re certainly a master at braiding,” Kurt answered, inspecting Sarah’s hair thoroughly, and then jumping backwards as though bitten by a snake.

“What is it?” Blaine asked, his eyes wide and fearful and his hand reaching out to touch Kurt’s arm comfortingly. “What’s wrong?”

Kurt shuddered. “Lice. Head lice. Sarah has head lice! How come you haven’t noticed while you were braiding her hair?”

Blaine shrugged. “I did it on autopilot. She was sitting on my lap and I just took strands of her hair in my hands and started braiding while watching The Little Mermaid. I wasn’t actually looking at her hair while I styled it.”

Kurt closed his eyes, shuddered again and then steeled himself. “Okay, we’re going to deal with this. Over my dead body are Sarah and Toby going back to Rachel this afternoon with lice in their hair. She’d have a fit! First things first, though. We need to call Tina and tell her to check her boys’ hair for head lice as well.”

Blaine called Tina and explained about the head lice situation. He put her on speaker, so that Kurt could hear Tina’s end of the conversation. Tina took the news well. Too well. Whatever reaction Kurt had been expecting, it wasn’t a cheerful “Again? Well, thanks for warning me. I still have some of that shampoo left, so I’ll wash their hair with it tonight.”

Kurt motioned for Blaine to hand the phone to him. “Tina? Has this happened before?”

“Oh, sure. I noticed them having head lice half December, and I treated their hair with that special shampoo I just told you about, and slicked their hair and ran through it with a fine comb every day for a week and a half, until I found no more lice or nits. I guess I overlooked some, then, if they still have head lice. Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll deal with it.”

“Tina!” Kurt yelled, exasperated. “How can you be so calm about this? Rachel is going to be furious with me for letting her children catch head lice! And now I hear it’s all your fault for not treating your boys’ hair until there were absolutely no lice left!”

“Excuse me?” Tina retorted icily. “How do you know Sarah and Toby got the head lice only yesterday, and from my children? They might have caught them at school. Or from one of the children at the hospital. There’s no knowing where they caught it, and when. And seriously! As if little Ms Perfect Rachel Berry has never had children with head lice. Please! Every child gets them at one point, no matter how organised or obsessed with cleanliness their mother is.”

Kurt felt the anger coiling in his gut subside. True. They might have caught the head lice elsewhere. Still, he dreaded having to tell Rachel.

“Sorry, Tina. You’re right. I’m just… This is…” Kurt wiggled his hands in disgust and pulled a face, and then confessed quietly, “Bugs scare the hell out of me, and the thought of having to touch Sarah and Toby’s hair while there are lice in it, and actually having to touch the lice and get them out… Well, it’s a lot to deal with before breakfast on a Sunday morning.”

That made Tina giggle, but Kurt felt a tremor go through Blaine when he mentioned having to get rid of the vermin, so clearly, his boyfriend wasn’t to keen on it either.

“And Rachel’s going to kill me,” Kurt continued. “She’s never going to trust me to look after her children again! She won’t ever allow us to have sleep-overs anymore.”

“Hey, hey,” Tina calmed him down. “I understand you’re freaking out a little right now, but please stop overreacting. Rachel will do no such thing. Tell you what: if Rachel kicks up a fuss, I’ll talk to her and make her see reason. Okay?”

Kurt bit his lip. “Okay. So we need a special shampoo to kill the lice?”

“Oh, you don’t have to go to the trouble of buying that shampoo,” Tina said chirpily. “Just make their hair wet, comb it through with the finest comb you have and pick out and kill all the lice. The nits too - that’s the lice eggs. Look for them near the scalp. They’re small and white and look like bits of dandruff. The difference is that they can’t be brushed or shaken out. They stick to the hair. Drench your comb in vinegar ever so often while you’re combing the children’s hair. That will help loosen the nits. You will have to shampoo the hair afterwards though, to get the vinegar smell out.”

“All right,” Kurt answered. “Thank you, Tina. I’ll go and deal with it.”

“Okey-dokey! Have a nice Sunday, and I’ll see you tomorrow, Blaine! Are you carpooling with us again?”

Kurt gave the phone back to Blaine. “No, we’re both heading to Westerville this afternoon, so I’ll see you at school. Thanks for your help, Tay-Tay! Bye!”

“Bye!”

Kurt let out a sigh that seemed to come straight from his toes, and then clapped his hands and called out: “Sarah! Come to the kitchen, please!”

K&B

That afternoon, when they rang the bell at the Hudson-Berry’s, Kurt didn’t even have to worry about how to raise the subject. As soon as Rachel opened the door, Toby announced loudly and proudly that he had bugs in his hair, and then ran inside, shouting that he’d missed his dinosaurs.

Sarah followed more slowly, a scowl on her face. Ever since she’d had to sit on a kitchen chair until Kurt had meticulously combed through all her tresses, she’d been grumpy. She’d refused to eat lunch, and Blaine had only been able to coax her to eat a little soup with two crackers. And she’d refused to put her coat and shoes on to go back home. “I don’t want to go home. It’s boring there. Mom never does anything fun with us. She just yells at us for making a mess or quarrelling, and she’s always too busy to play with us.”

Rachel clearly did not know what to make of Toby’s remark, and shot a bewildered look at Kurt. “Is Toby making things up again? On Friday, he pretended to be a dog all day, constantly yapping and barking and racing through the house, slamming into everyone.”

Kurt sighed. “No, he’s not fantasising. They both have head lice. I noticed it this morning, and we’ve combed their hair out and removed all the lice and nits we could find.”

Rachel clapped a hand over her mouth. “I totally forgot to warn you about that! I’ve been treating their hair against head lice for two weeks, but they keep re-appearing, and certainly in Sarah’s case, it’s such a hassle to comb through all strands of her hair to check for lice and nits. It takes ages, and she doesn’t always have the patience to sit still long enough.”

Kurt gaped at her for a moment, and then exploded. “You KNEW! All this time, you KNEW and you didn’t say a thing! I was worried sick about this! I thought you’d never let us have the children anymore! I thought you’d scold me for all I was worth! And we’re going to have to wash all the bed linens and disinfect the sofa and all the places the children have been and check our own hair for head lice as ways. I’ve felt uncomfortably itchy all day!”

Rachel’s lip trembled, and then she burst into tears. “I’m sorry… I forgot… With the children always around, I can’t get any work done until they’re in bed, and then I work too long into the night, and I’m so tired all the time, and that makes me forget stuff, even if it’s important. I’m so sorry, Kurt, I swear I didn’t withhold the information on purpose.”

Kurt, who felt rather guilty now, hurried to hug Rachel and pat her on the back softly, murmuring quiet reassurances into her ear. “There, there. It’s okay. I’m just a bit stressed because I’ve never dealt with something like this and didn’t know what to do. I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. I never meant to upset you. I can’t even imagine how hard it must be to have two children to take care of while you also have your business and your household to run. You’re so strong, Rachel, and such a wonderful multitasker, but it’s understandable that something slips your mind every now and then. That’s only human. I’m not angry with you. I swear I’m not.”

When Rachel stepped back from the hug, she gave him a watery smile. “Thank you so much for looking after Sarah and Toby. I really appreciate it. I managed to finish three cakes and even had time to make a batch of buttermilk cookies. Want to come in for a cup of tea and taste them?”

Kurt looked at Blaine, who nodded and stepped inside, hugging Rachel as well. “That sounds delicious, Rachel. And I’m so glad we could help. We love having the children over, so if you need a breather, ask us to look after them. We’d be happy to. Okay? Promise me you’ll ask.”

Rachel took in a shaky breath and nodded. “Promise. Thank you, Blaine.”


	121. One Day

# Chapter 121: One Day

“ _You know what the secret is? It's so simple. We love one another. We're nice to one another. Do you know how rare that is?_ ” (Ann Brashares, _The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants_ )

Blaine somehow managed to wake Henry and Toby without making them grumpy, and Tina rewarded him by inviting them all for supper.

When the children professed not to be hungry, Blaine sat them down on the kitchen counter while he turned their sandwiches into edible art. He made a [clown face](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/58/67/8f/58678f4dcf2d1c7880d7f3f702225cfa.jpg) for Henry, a [bear](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/50172983321521418/) for Mikey, an [owl](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/50172983321521405/) for Toby and a [rabbit](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/50172983321521410/) for Sarah, and they were so delighted they ate every last bite of it. After having drunk their milk, the children were excused and hurried to switch on the television, Henry and Toby bickering over the merits of Sophia the First vs. Paw Patrol. Sarah managed to shut up the boys quickly enough, though, by telling them that they were to stop bickering or SHE would pick the programme they’d watch. Her brother and Tina’s sons looked at her with undisguised horror on their faces, and then agreed on Paw Patrol, and peace was restored.

Blaine repressed a snigger. _Well played, Sarah._

When Blaine tuned back into the conversation, he found that Tina and Kurt were talking about Sam and Mercedes’ engagement, and Kurt was telling her all about the proposal, beaming and gesturing as though he was the one who had been proposed to.

_It’s a pity Mercedes doesn’t live closer. I get the feeling she’s even dearer to Kurt than his sister-in-law. I’m glad she could come with us today. Yes. That was a good idea, asking Sam to join in. Look at Tina, soaking in the story… She’s just as much of a romantic as I am, though she won’t admit it so easily._

Tina wanted to know when the wedding was scheduled, and Blaine blanched a little when he heard it would be another year and a half. Poor Sam! Yes, he did say he didn’t mind waiting for Mercedes, but still… Blaine vowed to himself that he would try to convince Kurt that planning the wedding in six months was doable.

Then the conversation turned to New York, and they talked about Sebastian and Elliot and their upcoming concert tour. Kurt offered to take Tina and Mike to one of his friends’ concerts, and Tina accepted eagerly, listening to Kurt extolling Seb and Elliot’s talents to the skies with a wide smile, and then asking why Kurt had never mentioned them to her before.

That question made Kurt feel uncomfortable, that much was obvious, and it didn’t escape Tina’s keen eye. She probed further, and though she made some wrong assumptions, she got Kurt to open up a little. She seemed very surprised to hear that Kurt had had sex with Sebastian once. Calling it a ‘one-night stand’, as Kurt did, was glossing things over, in Blaine’s opinion, but he couldn’t blame Kurt for doing so. No need to tell Tina the whole sordid story. As much as Blaine loved Tina - apart from Jeff, she was his closest friend and she was loyal and kind and sweet and overall a wonderful person - there was no denying she was an inveterate gossip. The fewer specifics she knew, the better.

Still, the little Kurt told Tina was juicy enough, that much was clear. She was actually struck speechless for a minute, and then expressed her surprise at Kurt having had a one-night stand.

To Kurt, her reaction must have felt like slut-shaming. His cheeks went bright red and he started shredding his paper napkin into a million little pieces, while vehemently defending himself to Tina.

Tina’s eyes showed a glimmer of amusement when she shrugged it off and quickly changed the subject to the house Kurt and Blaine had bought. Blaine happily and eagerly joined in the conversation, pulling his phone out to show her pictures, and sketching interior ideas on his napkin.

Blaine started violently when Mike turned up while they were debating the pros and cons of gas vs induction stoves.

_Mike is here? Already? He always has dance lessons until ten PM on Saturdays - Tina’s forever complaining about that… Did he stop earlier today for some reason? Oh! Huh… Would you look at that… It’s a quarter past ten already! Uh-oh… The children!_

Blaine whipped his head around to check on the children, and saw that the television was still showing cartoons, but no-one was paying any attention to them. The four children lay sprawled over the rug in a tangle of limbs, all of them fast asleep.

_Uh-oh… Poor Sarah and Toby… We got so caught up in talking with Tina that we forgot all about them! I feel like the worst babysitter in the world…_

A quick look at Kurt showed that his boyfriend was equally taken aback. Kurt’s eyes were huge and frantic, and he begged Tina not to tell Rachel he’d forgotten all about her children and let them fall asleep at a strange house while watching television.

Mike’s lips twitched, and Tina outright giggled at Kurt’s evident distress. They didn’t seem to find the situation shocking in the least, and Tina promised Kurt Rachel would never hear about it.

When Kurt let out an audible sigh of relief and sagged against Blaine momentarily, Tina added, “Don’t worry so much about it, sweetie. Our children are off their usual sleeping schedule too, after two weeks at home and with plenty of late-night celebrations. And it’s a really thick, comfortable rug they’re lying on, so they won’t be sore when they wake up.”

Kurt looked like he wanted to ask how Tina was so sure about that, but then thought better of it, bit his lip and just nodded.

“Besides, you’re their uncle,” Tina continued. “You’re supposed to do fun and crazy stuff with them their parents wouldn’t let them do.”

Kurt cracked a tiny smile at that. “That description fits Blaine. Not me. I’m not a fun uncle. But thanks, for making me feel better. I needed that. I’m feeling so guilty right now.”

They quickly took their leave after that, Blaine carrying Toby and Kurt holding Sarah’s hand all the way to Kurt’s house.

There, they switched, Kurt readying Toby for bed while Blaine supervised Sarah. They had tucked both children in and kissed Sarah goodnight, and Blaine’s heart swelled with the quiet domesticity of it all. They tiptoed out of the guest room, but Blaine couldn’t resist chancing one last look at the sleeping children, sighing rapturously at how natural and wonderful this felt.

Kurt caressed Blaine’s thumb softly and leant in. “One day, sweetie. One day,” he whispered into Blaine’s ear, his breath tickling Blaine’s skin.

Blaine felt his lips stretch all the way to his ears.

_Yes. One day, it will be our turn. And it will be glorious._

K&B

They went to bed soon after the children, and Blaine immediately sank into a deep sleep, until he was roughly woken by loud wails. Blaine sat up and wanted to get up and go check on the children, but Kurt gently pushed him down again and was out of bed in a trice.

Blaine dozed off again, but was startled awake when Kurt got back into bed and felt like a block of ice. Kurt demanded to be warmed up, and Blaine obediently hugged Kurt close, covering as much of his boyfriend as he could to get his temperature back to normal.

The next thing he knew, a small hand was insistently tugging at his sleeve. “Uncle Blaine! Uncle Blaine! I’m awake!”

Blaine cracked an eye open. It was Toby.

_Okay, let’s get this show on the road without waking Kurt…_

“So I see!” Blaine whispered back. “Let’s go to the living room. I’ll put the TV on and make you some breakfast. How’s that?”

Toby beamed his approval of that plan and slipped his hand into Blaine’s.

“Want to make a blanket fort and watch Disney movies?” Blaine asked. The enthusiasm in his voice must have been contagious, since Toby nodded frantically, his eyes shining like stars.

Once the blanket fort was in place, Blaine put “The Little Mermaid” on, and wanted to go to the kitchen to make pancakes, but Toby made grabby hands at him and insisted he wanted to cuddle first. “I’m not hungry yet! Please, Uncle Blaine?”

Blaine couldn’t resist Toby’s pout and stayed put. Twenty minutes later, they were joined by Sarah, who instantly crawled onto Blaine’s lap. Blaine smiled and combed through her hair with his fingers to get the tangles out, after which he absent-mindedly started braiding.

After “The Little Mermaid”, they took a break to prepare pancakes for breakfast, and in Sarah’s case to twirl around the kitchen singing “Part of your world”. Blaine joined in happily, and then sang “Under the sea” with Toby, doing a Sebastian impersonation that reduced both children to giggles.

As soon as their plates were empty, the children insisted on another Disney film, so Blaine rinsed the plates and went back to the living room with them, putting “Tarzan” into the DVD player this time.


	122. This Is Bugging Me

# Chapter 122: This Is Bugging Me

“ _There's nothing so strong as rage, except what makes you hold it in- that's stronger._ ” (Frances Hodgson Burnett, _A Little Princess_ )  


Kurt stumbled into the kitchen when Tarzan was about twenty minutes in. He looked half asleep still, and grimaced when Blaine wished him good morning.

_I know I should have insisted on getting up… I deal better with too little sleep than Kurt… Ah well, too late now. Better settle for the next best thing, which is plying my boyfriend with lots and lots of coffee._

And yes, after Kurt had had some coffee, he sighed in satisfaction and smiled at Blaine gratefully.

Kurt looked towards the children and commented on Sarah’s hairstyle. While inspecting the braid more closely, though, Kurt suddenly blanched and recoiled in horror.

Apparently, Sarah had head lice. Kurt had seen them crawling over her hair.

Blaine felt a cold shiver go down his spine.

_Oh no… Oh no! I’m not good with bugs. I’m SO not good with bugs. Even ladybugs used to freak me out when Cooper put them on my arm to tease me. Oh, Kurt is talking to me. What’s he saying? How come I didn’t notice? Well, I was watching The Little Mermaid, and just distractedly started playing with Sarah’s hair. I wasn’t paying much attention to what I was doing, really. Just the thought, though, of having run my hands through hair full of lice makes me rather nauseous. Ugh._

Kurt decided to take charge, and proposed starting with a phone call to Tina to warn her, so Blaine called Tina and told her they’d discovered lice in Sarah’s hair. Tina seemed to take it in stride. Clearly, she was more than used to dealing with head lice.

Blaine felt Kurt next to him stiffen and freeze at Tina’s reaction, and then holding his hand out for Blaine’s phone. When Blaine handed it over, Kurt started interrogating and then blaming Tina, getting all worked up.

Tina did not take that lying down, insisting that there was no way of knowing when or where Rachel’s children caught the head lice.

_True. I wasn’t expecting Kurt to go off on Tina this way… That was completely uncalled for. We’ll write it up to sleep deprivation and shock, but I don’t approve of that kind of outburst, and I will tell Kurt so. He needs to apologise._

Kurt, however, seemed to regret his harsh words already and needed no prompting to apologise to Tina, telling her frankly that this discovery had truly rattled him and that he was terrified of bugs.

_Oh, me too. Me too. Ew, just the thought of head lice makes my skin crawl…_

Tina found that amusing, apparently.

Kurt went on to say that he was scared of Rachel’s reaction, scared even that Rachel wouldn’t trust him and Blaine with the children anymore.

_Now you’re exaggerating, aren’t you? Aren’t you?_

Tina agreed with Blaine’s assessment, and promised to talk to Rachel if she proved furious.

_Thank you, Tina!_

Blaine’s gratitude went up another notch when Tina patiently explained to Kurt what they needed to do to get rid of the lice and nits.

The rest of the morning was spent combing through Sarah’s long tresses. Sarah’s patience ran out long before Kurt was done, and Blaine had to use every trick in his book to keep her entertained. Toby, thankfully, had short hair, so checking it for nits and lice took hardly any time at all.

K&B

It was clear to see that Kurt was nervous at the thought of bringing the children back to Rachel. As they bundled Sarah and Toby into their coats and hats and then took their hands to walk the short distance to the Hudson-Berry’s, Kurt kept throwing quick glances at Sarah’s hair, biting his lip, and fidgeting with the decorative buttons on his coat frenetically.

When they arrived, Rachel welcomed them with a grateful smile, looking a lot more serene and happy than she had on Friday.

Toby hugged her legs, shouting at the top of his voice that he had bugs in his hair - _thanks for that, buddy, way to break it to your mother gently_ \- and then disappeared inside.

Sarah, who was still sulking at having had to be deliced, scowled mightily at Rachel and Kurt and Blaine, and followed her brother inside without enthusiasm.

Rachel seemed non-plussed at the news Toby shared, and asked Kurt if Toby was making up stories again. Kurt, with a mighty sigh that seemed to come straight from his toes, admitted that Toby was telling the exact truth this time, and that both Sarah and Toby had head lice.

Kurt’s spine then stiffened, and he widened his stance slightly, as though bracing himself for Rachel’s wrath. It never came, however. Instead, Rachel’s eyes widened and she looked panicky and… guilty?

_So Rachel knew about this?_

Yes, apparently, she did.

Blaine could feel Kurt next to him tremble with rage, and there he went again, losing his temper spectacularly. Rachel, who’d looked so cheery and at peace just a few minutes ago, suddenly looked stressed and worn out again, her hands worrying Toby’s scarf. Blaine saw her struggle but fail to hold back her tears, and then she confessed, while sobbing, that she was overtired and overwrought, and that it made her forgetful.

Kurt, his face falling, hurried to hug and comfort Rachel. Still, Blaine wouldn’t let him off the hook about that temperament of his, and was determined to bring it up as soon as they were in Blaine’s apartment again.

Rachel invited them in for tea and cookies, and Blaine accepted eagerly, hugging Rachel for good measure.

_I’ll try and stay long enough to help feed the children their supper. I take it Finn has the second watch today instead of the first, for some reason, and has to work until 8 PM, and I can see Rachel’s exhausted._

Blaine also made sure to tell Rachel that he and Kurt loved looking after Sarah and Toby and were available to babysit at any time if she needed them to. “Promise me you’ll ask.”

Blaine’s offer made Rachel’s eyes brim over a little again, but her smile was warm and genuine when she promised.

They drank tea and chatted about what they’d done that weekend. Toby was quick to come and sit on Blaine’s lap and eat cookies, and then told his mom how he’d walked a dog to the park and then had the dog run away with him. Toby told the story with relish, exaggerating as much as he felt was necessary and gesturing dramatically.

_No need to ask who he gets the dramatics from… I’m pleased to see the incident doesn’t seem to have left a trauma._

Rachel told them she’d been working hard all weekend to catch up on her orders. Ever since Naomi’s wedding, she’d had a lot more orders for cakes and clients for birthday parties. While the children were at school, the extra work had been easy enough to deal with, but during the Christmas break, Rachel had really struggled to get everything done on time.

Blaine took her hand and reiterated: “When winter break and spring break roll around, you’ll let us know if you need us to take the children off your hands for a while, won’t you?”

Rachel smiled gratefully and squeezed Blaine’s hand. “I will.”


	123. Let's Grow Old Together

# Chapter 123: Let’s Grow Old Together

“ _What would it be like to wake up with him every morning for the rest of her life? She expected the question to scare her. Instead, a sense of rightness settled over her._

_Love filled her. Warm and vibrant and glowing. And she had her answer._

_I want to spend my life with you._ ” (Julie Ortolon, _Almost Perfect_ )

Kurt and Blaine told Rachel what they and the children had been up to during the weekend. Sarah, for once, didn’t butt in to tell her version of the story, choosing to bury her nose in a book and occasionally look around to glare at the adults and huff loudly.

Toby, however, was in his element. With shining eyes, he told Rachel about the dog that took him walking instead of the other way around, painting himself as a brave hero and occasionally spraying cookie crumbs because he was talking with his mouth full.

Rachel looked at Kurt in alarm a few times when Toby’s story reached dramatic heights, but each time, Kurt just rolled his eyes and smiled, and when Toby skipped away to go play with his dinosaurs, Kurt whispered, “Don’t worry, Rachel, he doesn’t have so much as a scratch, and he didn’t have nightmares about it at all.”

“Whose idea was it to go to the animal shelter, anyway?” Rachel asked curiously.

“Oh, Blaine was in charge of the programme,” Kurt answered, “but I loved every minute of it, and I’m sure the children did, too, in spite of the overenthusiastic dog and the head lice treatment.”

Sarah looked up when she heard that and glowered at Kurt, clearly disagreeing.

_She’ll be a handful as a teenager… I don’t envy Rachel…_

Kurt changed the subject to Mercedes and Sam’s engagement, and Rachel was overjoyed for them both. “It’s about time, though. They’ve been an item for so long. I thought Sam was never going to get his act together.”

Kurt hummed in assent.

_I doubt it will take Blaine and me six years to get engaged… Six months is more likely if we continue at the rate we’ve been going. Still, I’ve never had any doubts about Sam and Mercedes. They’re the real deal, and the question was only WHEN they would get married, never IF._

Rachel asked when the wedding would be, and like Tina, she scoffed when Kurt said the event would take a year and a half to plan. “Seriously, Kurt… I know they’re both famous, but they’re not the Kardashian kind of famous. They’ve always stayed the same - no airs and graces. So really, all we need to find for them is the perfect location and the perfect dress - which I assume you’re going to design and make - and they’re all set. The rest will sort itself out. And it definitely won’t take eighteen months to plan. That’s ridiculous. Six or seven months will be plenty of time. I’d be happy to plan Mercedes and Sam’s wedding with you, if you think Mercedes would let me.”

Kurt nodded. “I’ll ask her. I could really use your help.”

Rachel smiled. “Ever since Naomi’s wedding, I’ve been thinking about it, you know. Branching out to wedding planning. But I haven’t gotten round to it yet, because I’ve been swamped with orders. Naomi’s sister hired me for her twins’ birthday party, and since then four other moms of girls who were at that party hired me also, and all sorts of friends and acquaintances of Naomi’s and of her mother’s have ordered cakes for anniversaries and birthdays and an engagement party and a sweet sixteen extravaganza. It’s been madness, really! I’m thankful, of course, that my business is booming, but I’ve been busy as a bee, especially when the holiday break rolled around and I had to look after Toby and Sarah on top of all my work. Let’s just say I haven’t slept much the past two weeks. Ugh. You’ll think I’m a horrible mother for saying so, but I’ll be glad when they’re back at school and in day care next week.”

Kurt held his hands up. “I’m not judging you in the least! I only look after them for a day every now and then, and I’m always exhausted after, so I understand completely.”

Blaine nodded solemnly and patted Rachel’s hand, offering to take care of Sarah and Toby during winter and spring break whenever Rachel needed it.

_Huh… If Blaine makes that kind of promises, I guess it’s a good thing we’re not moving just yet…_

Blaine’s offer made Rachel’s face light up beautifully, and she instantly looked less tired and worried.

_I’ll talk to Carole about this, too. Maybe she could come and visit Rachel and the children on her afternoons off during school vacations, so that Rachel can work on her cakes without constantly being called upon by Toby or Sarah. And maybe Toby could go to Tina’s to play with Mike Junior and Henry sometimes? I can’t imagine Sarah being much trouble when Toby’s not around._

Kurt and Blaine ended up staying for supper, and then helping Rachel get the children into bed. Sarah refused to go to bed, which led to a mother-daughter shouting match - “I’m not tired yet!” - “It’s a school day tomorrow, so you need to go to sleep at a decent hour!” - finally solved by Blaine promising Sarah a story. That cheered her up at once, and she needed no more prompting to brush her teeth and put her pyjamas on.

The story Blaine told this time was [Ovid’s tale of Philemon and Baucis](http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/68/fairy-tales-and-other-traditional-stories/5096/philemon-and-baucis/), an old and happily married couple who asked Zeus to be allowed to stay together always, and were turned into two entwined trees.

As the story reached its ending, Rachel held her hand over her heart and sighed. “That was so beautiful.”

Kurt agreed. “It was. Most love stories are about young people, but this is somehow more touching.”

Blaine took Kurt’s hand and kissed it. “That’s because this is the happily ever after that’s implied in pretty much every other story. Years and years of sharing your life with your partner, growing ever closer, knowing each other inside and out and loving each other ever more truly and deeply, to the point where you basically become one entity, and don’t feel whole without your ‘other half’. That’s the kind of love I’ve been looking for my whole life. I really don’t understand why everyone waxes lyrical about Romeo and Juliet, who are only in love for five minutes and then kill themselves over a misunderstanding. That’s not an epic love story to me. It just makes me want to roll my eyes in exasperation. Philemon and Baucis, though… Now that’s love!”

“True,” Rachel nodded. “I want to grow old with Finn, and see our children grow up and have babies of their own. I can see that future for the two of you as well. You’ll look so handsome with grey hair. Very debonair.”

Kurt snorted and looked at Blaine, whose expression was rapt , as though he was picturing it in his mind. Kurt slid his hand into Blaine’s. “We really need to leave for Westerville now, sweetie. We still have a two-hour drive ahead of us, and it’s a school night for you, too.”

They bid Rachel and the children goodbye and soon, they were on their way to Blaine’s apartment. It was silent in the car. Kurt was on the verge of nodding off when Blaine cleared his throat.

“Kurt?” Blaine asked.

“Yes?”

“You’re awfully quick to lash out when you’re tired,” Blaine remarked.

Kurt hung his head. “I know. It’s like my temper goes haywire, and it’s triggered by the smallest things. And then I speak first and think second, and always feel horrible afterwards.”

“I don’t like it,” Blaine stated plainly. “Please… Please try to bite your tongue and keep it in. You made Rachel feel awful, and I think she has a hard enough time without you adding to it.”

Kurt felt his temper flare up again, white and hot, but clamped his mouth shut, and gripped his thighs until his knuckles went white instead to work out his frustration.

_Get a grip. Yes, Blaine sounds so self-righteous right now, but he does have a point. Don’t prove it all over again. You have more self-control than that. Keep the fury and the fire for your new book._

After a few minutes, Kurt’s anger subsided as his fatigue took over, and the next thing he knew, Blaine was softly shaking him awake and announcing they’d arrived in Westerville.

Groggily, Kurt stepped out of the car, took his suitcase with clothes and shoes out and handed Blaine the deep-frozen meal he’d dug out of his freezer for them to eat on Monday.

As soon as they were inside Blaine’s apartment, Blaine kissed Kurt and started unbuttoning his coat. Kurt returned the favour, but soon yawned into the kiss. “Sorry!”

Blaine chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. I’m tired too.”

Kurt put the food into the fridge and the suitcase into the bedroom, and they made quick work of getting ready for bed, though it was still quite early.

“Goodnight, love,” Blaine breathed, kissing Kurt’s temple.

Kurt chased his lips for a long, lazy kiss.

“Blaine?”

“Yes?”

“I’d love to become a tree with you,” Kurt slurred sleepily.

Blaine let out a tiny snort. “Let’s grow old together first.”

“Deal.”

“Sweet dreams, love.”

“Sweet dreams. I love you.”

“Love you too.”


	124. Of Decorating, Matchmaking and Strategising

# Chapter 124: Of Decorating, Matchmaking and Strategising

“ _Romeo [to a Servingman]: ‘What lady's that, which doth enrich the     hand Of yonder knight?’_ ” (William Shakespeare, _Romeo and Juliet_ )

For Kurt, the week passed in a flurry of activity. He went to his new shop in Westerville, and was pleased to see that Puck and Jake had put in a lot of work during his absence and had transformed the place. Gone was the linoleum, and in its place, there was a gleaming golden brown parquet floor with a nice fishtail pattern. Kurt admired the overall effect of the beautiful floor, the wainscoting they’d installed, the fresh paint on the walls and the antique ceilings with crown mouldings they’d restored to their original state, complete with a gold paint finish. It all looked elegant and inviting. The counter was already in place, too, so now, it was up to Kurt to decorate the shop, and then it would be ready to be opened.

So Kurt worked hard to get the shop exactly as he’d been picturing it, asking Blaine for his opinion on thousands of little details whenever his boyfriend dropped by after school, and beaming at the progress he’d made every evening as he looked around before leaving. By Wednesday, he’d finished the interior decorating of the shop, and his fall accessory line was displayed tastefully in cases and on a few stands, so he got started on the window display. He had fun creating a wintry theme for the display, making it playful and eye-catching.

On Wednesday afternoon, Blaine wasn’t alone when he came by. He brought Ryder with him, and Kurt remembered about Florian, and asked them both how Ryder’s speech had gone.

They looked at one another and grinned, bumping their fists.

“It was awesome!” Ryder enthused. “You should have seen the kids’ faces when I came into the classroom and Blaine introduced me. It was like I was a superhero, they were so impressed! Some of them told me that I had to stay until their fathers came to fetch them because they were big fans of mine and would want an autograph. And they went totally quiet when I told them about being dyslexic, and how tough that was for me in school, but how my friends rallied to help me out. I think it sank in. So now it’s up to Blaine to tell his kids how they can help Florian, right? I’ve done my part!”

Blaine clapped him on the back, smiling widely. “You sure have! Teaching them that dive move and all, that was great! We’ll have some extra scraped knees to tend to the following weeks, but it was totally worth it. Thanks, man, I owe you one!”

“No problem, dude,” Ryder waved it off. “I had fun. Some of your boys are pretty good players. You can tell them that, from me. And I got to catch up with Jeff and meet your other colleagues. I liked them. Tell me, man, that sweet brunette… Quiet, pale skin, cute nerdy glasses… Does she have a boyfriend?”

Blaine raised an eyebrow. “Who, Juliet?”

“Yes, Juliet, that was it,” Ryder nodded. “So, is she seeing someone?”

Blaine shook his head slowly. “I don’t think so. She recently broke up with her boyfriend.”

“Oh, good,” Ryder grinned. “I’m just asking because… At that karaoke thingy where you guys left before the party even got started, I was chatting up this girl, when all of a sudden I got a fist in my face from her boyfriend, who told me to leave her alone. So from now on, I’m making it a habit to ask first, you know.”

Blaine’s eyes went wide, but he soon composed himself and told Ryder that was a good idea.

“Who were you chatting up?” Kurt asked curiously.

“I don’t know her name, man, sorry,” Ryder apologised. “A pretty brunette. Wavy hair, legs that go on for miles, an amazing singing voice and a beautiful smile. Could be Blake Lively’s sister, they’re that much alike. Her boyfriend is black. Terrific dancer.”

Kurt and Blaine shared a look, and then said “Marley” in unison.

“That must have been Marley,” Kurt elaborated for Ryder’s benefit. “Jake’s girlfriend. Yes, Jake’s got a bit of a temper. Doesn’t take kindly to guys flirting with his girl, which is kind of ironic, because he used to be quite the womaniser, from what I hear. Unique says that at one point, half of the Cheerios had slept with him and the other half was trying to. And Kitty says that while she and Jake were dating, she kept noticing that he smelled like another girl’s perfume or had hickeys she hadn’t given him, and that he flirted with every girl in sight. He’s a reformed character now, though. Marley’s got him all wrapped around her pinky finger. She seems the sweetest girl imaginable, but she’s got a spine made of steel.”

“Anyway, she’s taken,” Blaine said. “Juliet’s not, as far as I know. Want me to ask her, just to make sure?”

Ryder shrugged. “If you think she’d be into someone like me. I’m not bookish at all, you know. Maybe she wants a brainiac and thinks that jocks are dumb.”

“Hey!” Blaine protested. “First of all, you’re not dumb! And second, Juliet’s not a snob in any way. The boyfriend she just broke up with was a regular kind of guy. Construction worker, loved football and Captain America and Juliet’s double chocolate chip cookies. They met when they literally bumped into one another at a hardware store. Juliet was looking for mouse traps because she had mice in her apartment, and she couldn’t find them at the store, so he helped her look for them, and the rest is history.”

Ryder nodded pensively. “So why didn’t it work out between them?”

“His ex wanted him back,” Blaine explained. “And apparently, he preferred his ex to Juliet.”

“So he dumped her?” Ryder growled, seeming indignant in Juliet’s stead.

“Yes. Juliet was very cut up about it.”

Ryder hummed. “When did they break up, did you say?”

“Early November,” Blaine answered promptly. “It was right at the same time Kurt and I got together.”

“So do you think she’s over him yet?” Ryder wanted to know.

Blaine shrugged. “I don’t know, man. I really don’t. She doesn’t seem sad about it anymore. Tell you what, I’ll tell her tomorrow that you’d like to get to know her better. Want me to give her your phone number, if she’s interested?”

Ryder grinned and nodded. “Yeah. Thanks, man!”

“No problem!”

Now that he’d exhausted the topic of his would-be conquests, Ryder took in his surroundings and whistled appreciatively.

“So this place isn’t a karaoke bar, then?” Ryder addressed Kurt. “More like a clothes shop? A very classy one, wow!”

Kurt beamed and showed Ryder the shop, while Blaine admired the window display, and made a few suggestions to add to it.

“Are you going to our house, to see what Puck and Jake have been doing today?” Kurt asked. He’d delegated supervising the renovations at their house to Blaine for the moment being, choosing to focus on getting his shop ready himself.

“Yes, I am,” Blaine smiled. “I should be back by six at the latest.”

Ryder and Blaine left soon after that. Kurt heard Blaine say to Ryder that he would surely love the house.

_Uh-oh… Blaine’s taking Ryder to see our house while Jake will be there, working? Let’s hope Jake doesn’t still feel sore about Ryder flirting with Marley…_

Kurt put the finishing touches on the display and then headed to his workroom upstairs to get some sewing done.

At five PM, he called it a day and walked back to Blaine’s apartment, where he started on a quiche. He put it in the oven and moved to the sofa with his laptop, to check if he had received any online orders. He had, but he also saw a mail from Adrienne Keller, and he clicked on that one first.

Adrienne gushed about all three designs he had sent her, but liked the [white one with the blue flowers](https://d36di5nvqr47bo.cloudfront.net/photos/15237/63138/tony-ward-couture-fall-winter-2015-paris-15237-looks-20150706-751758/Tony_Ward_2-1436216892-thumb.jpg) best. “My mother’s insisting I wear a white dress or she won’t pay for it. She says it’s traditional, and coloured dresses are tacky. So this is accommodating her wish while getting my own way, too.”

Kurt frowned. _I’ll have to insist on her mother being shown the design and being present at the fittings. I can’t risk her hating the dress and then refusing to pay for it._

Kurt sent Adrienne a carefully worded reply, and hoped that Adrienne wouldn’t be miffed and that her mother wouldn’t dismiss the dress outright.

Only five minutes after he’d sent the mail, his phone rang. Apparently, Adrienne had been waiting for his response. Kurt sighed, knowing full well how chatty she could get. As if on cue, his stomach rumbled, and he looking at the quiche in the oven with longing.

_Let’s hope this won’t take too long. I’m so hungry._

Kurt picked up the phone, and Adrienne assured him she was planning on showing the sketch to her mother, absolutely, only she was waiting until Friday afternoon, when Susan Keller and a couple of other ladies would be having tea with her mother. Adrienne was counting on Susan, who loved Kurt’s designs, to sway her mother from her “white dress” idée fixe. “If Aunt Susan likes it, everyone will. She has an eye for fashion, and she’s known for it. So I’m going to show my mother the designs while my aunt is there, and cross my fingers that Aunt Susan manages to convince mom that these dresses won’t be tacky in the least.”

That was actually a good idea, and Kurt said so, and wished her luck. “Let me know what your mother said, will you?”

“I will!” Adrienne promised.


	125. Off Kilter

# Chapter 125: Off Kilter

For supper, Rachel served them mushroom velouté topped with buttermilk blinis. The children were quick to eat the blinis, but turned their nose up at the soup, and it took all of Blaine’s persuasive powers to get them to eat a few spoonfuls.

Sarah was still in a terrible mood, and though she yawned and her eyes were drooping, she resisted the order to go to bed with all her might, stomping her feet and yelling at Rachel until Blaine intervened and promised to make bed time more entertaining by telling her and Toby a story.

Blaine felt a bit guilty. Sarah was clearly overtired, and it was their fault for staying at the Chang’s for too long the day before. He hoped that Sarah would go straight to sleep after his story, and wouldn’t cause any more trouble.

The story he chose this time was one of his absolute favourites because it had the happiest of all happily ever afters. Toby was asleep after just a few sentences, and Sarah followed suit, but Blaine told the story all the way to its ending for Kurt and Rachel’s benefit.

They gave the children a goodnight kiss and then stole out of the bedroom on their tiptoes. Rachel thanked them again, and Blaine repeated that he loved looking after Sarah and Toby. “Anytime.”

While driving to Westerville, Blaine mulled the day’s events over in his head, and decided to talk to Kurt about it. Make it plain that he didn’t like Kurt being so abrasive and accusatory on so slight a provocation.

Kurt admitted sheepishly that he’d reacted too quickly, but seemed annoyed at Blaine for bringing it up. Kurt’s posture went rigid and tense, and only slackened when Kurt nodded off somewhere halfway between Lima and Westerville.

K&B

Monday was a school day again. After his two-week vacation, Blaine felt off kilter and had some trouble getting back into the rhythm, so he decided to kick off the day with a game, inspired by his young charges, who were chattering on and on. They had lots of stories to tell about the holidays and the food they’d eaten and the presents they’d received, and the oddball family members that had come for a visit.

“And then one of my uncles got, like, REALLY drunk and jumped onto the table and started singing as loud as he could.” Jeremy grimaced. “Only he doesn’t sing well at all. It sounds horrible. So the only way my dad could think of to shut Uncle Harry up was to snap his suspenders. So he does, and Uncle Harry’s trousers fall off. And do you know what underwear he had on?”

“Superman underwear?” Robby guessed.

Jeremy shook his head solemnly.

“No underwear at all?” Florian tried, and a few girls gasped.

Jeremy giggled, his eyes dancing with mirth, and shook no again. “[Red boxer shorts with a Santa face](http://gigieatscelebrities.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Holiday-Underwear-Candyman-Santa-Outfit-9678-290x300.jpg?03a0f1) in front. It looked so silly! And my uncle jumped off the table and fell over his trousers and then ran away to the bathroom, and my aunt had to sweet-talk him for half an hour before he would come out again. And my dad and his other brothers laughed their heads off and said they were going to find some more of those funny boxer shorts to give him as a present for his birthday. Uncle Jim said he’d sneak in some thongs, too, and then they laughed even harder. Mr A, what are thongs? Is that what you use to put the meat on the barbecue?”

Blaine bit down a smile and answered, “No, Jeremy, those are tongs. Thongs are underwear. Underwear that doesn’t cover much.”

“Oh…” Jeremy pulled a face. “Ew!!”

“My sentiments exactly,” Blaine nodded. “Now… Seeing as a new year has just begun, let’s talk about our new year’s celebrations and resolutions, and about the highlights of last year. How did you wave out the old year? What do you want to do better than last year? What do you want to learn this year? What did you get for your birthday last year? Tell us the funniest story that happened last year, etc. etc. And for that, we’re going to use the New Year’s bingo.”

Blaine propped up a big cardboard sign on his desk. It was divided into squares, and every square held a letter and a question. He put a stack of cards next to it.

“Now I want you to come up here, one by one, take a card from the stack, read out the letter on it, look for the corresponding letter on the board, read out the question and answer it.”

The children cheered, and had fun telling stories and enumerating all that they wanted to do that year.

During lunch hour, Blaine had surveillance duty, and played soccer with the boys. The afternoon passed quickly, with a maths lesson about ones, tens, hundreds and thousands, which Blaine tried to explain through the [place value game](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/179369997636543351/).

After school, Blaine first went home to freshen up and change clothes, and then went to Kurt’s shop to say hello and maybe offer him some help. Kurt showed Blaine around, proud of how good the shop looked already, and told Blaine what he had in mind for the tie displays and the belts and the hats, sometimes showing him several options and then asking which one Blaine liked best.

The shop looked amazing. Yes, it was smaller than the shop in Lima, but it had a timeless and high-class feel to it, and of course the accessories displayed were one-of-a-kind, beautifully crafted and positively eye-catching. Blaine appreciatively fingered a [blue bowtie with a spider web pattern](http://www.cliparthut.com/clip-arts/1497/royal-blue-and-white-bow-tie-1497514.jpg), which Kurt told him had been designed for a ring bearer.

Kurt seemed in very high spirits, pleased that the fitting out of the shop was coming along so well, but didn’t want Blaine’s help. “Go check on Puck and Jake. They should be working on our house today.”

So Blaine went to the house and chatted with Puck and Jake, who, to Blaine’s horror, had discovered a leak in the roof and a roof beam that was rotting as a result of that.

Puck clapped Blaine on the back. “Don’t worry, man. It’s only a small leak. We’ll fix it and replace the beam. The rest of the roof is in good condition. Might have been a lot worse. We’ve covered that part of the roof with plastic sheeting for now.”

Blaine saw that they had started taking out the old kitchen as well, and started to cough because there was so much dust in the air.

He left soon after that and went back to his apartment. He had just finished making a pumpkin risotto when Kurt came in, weary but content. “Something smells lovely in here!”

Blaine finished setting the table and held out Kurt’s chair for him, which made Kurt blush a lovely shade of pink and thank him in a murmur.

After dinner, Kurt checked his orders and did some sewing, his machine purring busily. Blaine worked on his new book and watched some television, until Kurt came to fetch him to go to bed.

“I’ll have to think about a nice opening event,” Kurt mused sleepily.

“Hmm,” Blaine hummed.

“Maybe a fashion show,” Kurt went on.

“Hmm…”

“I could ask Sam, if he’s still in Lima. Finn, too, though he will grumble, no doubt.”

“Hmm…”

Kurt chuckled. “Okay, okay, I get it. No more talking shop. It’ll keep until tomorrow. Nighty-night, sleepyhead.”

“Hmm, g’night.”

“I love you.”

“Love you too.”


	126. Ryder Helps Out

# Chapter 126: Ryder Helps Out

“ _There is so much in the world for us all if we only have the eyes to see it, and the heart to love it, and the hand to gather it to ourselves--so much in men and women, so much in art and literature, so much everywhere in which to delight, and for which to be thankful._ ” (L.M. Montgomery)

The next day, during his morning break, he called Ryder to confirm that his friend was still planning on coming to Hawthorne on Wednesday to talk to Blaine’s class about dyslexia, inadvertently waking Ryder up with his phonecall.

“Sorry, man!” Blaine apologised. “I never thought you’d still be in bed.”

“’S okay,” Ryder slurred groggily. “I like to sleep in when I have the day off.”

“So I had better arrange for you to come and talk to my kids on Wednesday afternoon instead of in the morning?”

Ryder laughed. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s a good idea. I don’t think I’d be much use early in the morning.”

“Duly noted. You’re still planning on coming, though?”

“Sure, sure,” Ryder assured Blaine. “I’ll be there. Can’t wait to meet the famous Florian and find out if he’s really as good at soccer as you say he is.”

“Could you be here at around noon?” Blaine suggested. “You know where Hawthorne is, right? I’ll provide lunch for the both of us, and I’ll introduce you to my colleagues.”

“Sure, I’ll be there. See you tomorrow!”

“Thanks, man! See you tomorrow!”

When Blaine hung up, Chelsey asked, “Who was that? Are we having visitors tomorrow?”

Blaine’s other colleagues looked interested as well, so Blaine explained about Ryder helping him out with Florian.

“A football player, huh?” Chelsey mused. “Is he hot?”

Blaine raised an eyebrow. “I thought you’d sworn off men?”

Chelsey bumped his shoulder. “Yes, yes, I love Rose, and she’s all I’ll ever want for the rest of my life, but I can appreciate eye candy just as much as the rest of you. Anyway, I was asking for Juliet. It’s about time she starts dating again. So… Is Ryder single?”

Blaine chuckled. “Matchmaking before you’ve even seen the guy?”

“Hey, he’s a friend of yours, so he must be a decent person,” Chelsey shrugged. “So tell us… Is he good-looking and single?”

“Yes and yes,” Blaine grinned.

“Good!” Chelsey smirked. “Juliet, Rose and I are coming over this afternoon to give you a make-over. You’ll be wanting to look your best tomorrow.”

Juliet looked alarmed. Her wide-eyed startled rabbit impression made Chelsey relent a bit. “Aw, sweetie, don’t be scared. I just want you to leave your hair loose tomorrow instead of slapping it into a ponytail. Let the lovely curls come out to play. I have a conditioner for you that will stop it from going all frizzy. And maybe you’d let me put some highlights into it, and some layers?”

If anything, Juliet looked even more fearful now, but Chelsey steamrollered on. “And don’t even think about coming to school in this hideous baggy sweater and boyfriend jeans. Seriously, girl, don’t you have any form-fitting clothes? You have such a nice figure, and you should show it off to its best advantage. And don’t even get me started on the fact that you never wear make-up or jewellery. Your ears aren’t even pierced, are they?”

Blaine suppressed a chuckle and intervened on behalf of Juliet, who was on the verge of a panic attack by now. “Chelsey, please… Stop terrifying Juliet. Ryder likes natural-looking girls, so he’ll like Juliet just the way she is.”

Blaine looked Juliet up and down quickly and nodded approvingly. Then his eyes lingered on her ponytail, and he tilted his head to the side, considering. “On second thought, you might want to wear your hair loose. I agree with Chelsey on that count. You look so lovely with your curls framing your face.”

Juliet went pink and gave Blaine a shy, pleased smile. “Okay.”

K&B

The next morning, Blaine could see that Chelsey had gotten her way, to a certain extent. Juliet’s hair fell in glossy ringlets over her shoulders, and she was wearing skinny dark blue jeans and a burgundy blouse that nipped in at the waist, with a grey cardigan over it.

Chelsey rolled her eyes at the cardigan. “I lent you my blazer, didn’t I? Far more sophisticated than that dowdy cardigan. Still, I’m glad you went with the blouse we bought. It’s definitely your colour. And those jeans look really good on you. You should wear them more often.”

Juliet laughed. “Maybe I will. My barista paid me a compliment, too, this morning. Told me I looked amazing.”

“That’s because you do, Juliet!” Jeff sing-songed, and then fell to his knees, one hand over his heart and the other held out toward Juliet, reciting dramatically:

“O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!     It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night     Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear-     Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!     So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows     As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows.”

The teachers all laughed and applauded. Jeff got up and took a low bow.

“You know your Shakespeare,” Juliet giggled, her eyes crinkling with mirth. “I’m impressed.”

Jeff batted his eyes at her, took her hand and kissed it. “Anything for you, milady.”

Chelsey snorted, and Nora remarked, “Well, Jeff, next time my hubby needs more actors for a play, I’ll know whom to suggest. That wasn’t half bad!”

Ryder arrived promptly at twelve o’clock, and Blaine introduced him to everyone, keeping Juliet for last, and mentioning that her brother played football in college. That sparked a conversation between Ryder and Juliet that lasted for the rest of their lunch break.

Blaine surreptitiously handed Ryder a ham and cheese sandwich and after that a peanut butter and jelly one, and let him talk with Juliet to his heart’s content. Ryder was gesturing enthusiastically, and Juliet was smiling at how passionate he was about whatever they were discussing - they talked too quietly for Blaine to be able to follow the conversation.

Jeff winked at Blaine and waggled his eyebrows at him.

_Yes. Yes, I agree. It’s going well. Ryder seems to like her._

If Blaine needed any more confirmation of that fact, he got it when the bell rang, signalling that their break was over and the afternoon classes were about to start. Ryder seemed downright annoyed that it was time already. Clearly, he wanted to go on chatting with Juliet.

However, after some good-natured grumbling about how teachers had way too short a lunch break, Ryder tagged along with Blaine, and grinned when Blaine introduced him to his class with lots of fanfare. The children all cheered loudly, and Ryder playfully put his hands over his ears and pulled a comically scared face that made them giggle.

That broke the ice, and soon enough, Robby and his friends were pelting Ryder with questions. Apparently, at least half of them had hopes of becoming a professional football player, too, one day, and they wanted to know all the ins and outs of Ryder’s job. Robby insisted that Ryder stay until his dad picked him up after school, saying that his dad was a huge fan of Ryder’s and would be thrilled to meet him. The other boys nodded, and Jeremy shouted, “My dad too.”

After about half an hour, even Robby had run out of questions, leaving Ryder the opportunity to tell them what he’d actually come for. Ryder spoke at length about feeling dumb and stupid for not being able to read without mixing up letters, and how a friend of his ended up figuring out that Ryder was dyslexic and helped him find the support he needed.

“But, you know what helped me most?” Ryder asked.

The children shook their heads.

“It was that my friends made sure that nobody ever teased me about being slow or getting things wrong. They educated the kids who tried to put me down. Told them that I was dyslexic and needed help, not scorn. And my teachers let me use my own personal word dictionary during tests and quizzes. My parents helped too, stressing that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and that I may not write without tons of spelling mistakes, but that I was the greatest quarterback the school had ever had, and that I would go far. And when I was little and hated reading, my dad would read Roald Dahl books and the Chronicles of Narnia to me, and do all the voices, and then stop just when the story got exciting and leave the book on the bedside table, so that I would be tempted to switch the light back on and read another chapter or so. And I did. That made reading more fun.”

Maria nodded vigorously. “My mom does that too, and we always beg her to please read on a little.”

Ryder smiled at her. “What are you reading right now?”

“Septimus Heap,” Maria beamed. “It’s a bit like Harry Potter, only it’s kind of about Ron’s family instead of about Harry, I guess. A family with seven children, six of them boys. And they’re wizards, and they do all sorts of exciting stuff. And there’s a bad wizard, too, who killed the queen. And there’s a dragon boat, and a magic ring. It’s totally awesome.”

“Sounds great,” Ryder agreed. “And do you keep reading after your mother has tucked you in and put the light out?”

Maria grinned. “Yeah, we do. Amanda is older than I am and she reads to me after mom has gone back to the living room.”

After Ryder’s speech, they went to the school yard to play soccer during the afternoon break, and when they returned to the classroom, they all brainstormed about how they could help out Florian, Ryder chipping in with tips and suggestions. They were so engrossed that they didn’t even hear the bell ring, and it wasn’t until Jenny’s mom knocked at the door and ventured inside the classroom that they noticed the time.

Ryder hung around to say hi to all the parents and even sign a few autographs, and high-fived the third-graders before they left, making sure to tell Florian’s dad that his son was a very talented soccer player and impressed Ryder with his moves. “He’s so quick, man! I’d love to have someone like him on my team!”

When all the third-graders had gone home, Blaine waved goodbye to Nora, who was supervising the school yard, and asked Ryder if he wanted to come with Blaine and formally meet Kurt.

Ryder, who was looking around and seemed disappointed that all the other teachers were long gone, agreed to come along. At the shop, a cheery though slightly dishevelled Kurt welcomed them and immediately asked how the speech had gone, listening attentively.

The topic went from dyslexia to Blaine’s colleagues without any prompting on Blaine’s part, and Ryder asked hesitantly whether or not Juliet had a boyfriend.

Blaine suppressed a smile and pretended to think about it, finally coming to the conclusion that she didn’t.

Ryder beamed, and explained that he’d rather know beforehand, seeing as he’d apparently been beaten up by Jake for flirting with Marley at the karaoke night right here in the shop.

_Wow… So we missed out on a lot of excitement, did we? I didn’t know Jake was so hot-headed._

Kurt told Ryder a bit more about Jake and Marley, gossiping about Jake, who used to be quite a lady-killer. Kurt’s tone was quite derogatory, and Blaine didn’t like it.

_This is unnecessary. Don’t talk trash about our friends, please. Jake’s a good guy, and a hard worker. Don’t judge him on what he was like as a teenager._

Blaine made sure to wrap up the conversation about Jake and Marley as fast as he could, and steer the discussion back towards Juliet, quickly sketching how things had ended with her ex, and offering to give her Ryder’s phone number, if she happened to like Ryder as well.

Kurt showed Ryder around the shop, and then Blaine took Ryder along to their house.

Ryder loved it just as much as Blaine and Kurt had, and bumped fists with Puck and Jake jovially. There appeared to be no hard feelings about the Marley imbroglio on either Ryder’s or Jake’s part, and Jake took them on a tour through the house to show them what had been accomplished that day, and what he planned on doing the rest of the week.

They parted ways there. Blaine hugged Ryder and thanked him profusely for helping Florian, and promised again to talk to Juliet.

Blaine came home to a set table, a delectable quiche and a happy but tired boyfriend, who showed him sketches and discussed wedding dresses and opening shows with him.

_I love coming home to you…_


	127. Preparations and a Phonecall

# Chapter 127: Preparations and a Phonecall

“ _You can trust us to stick to you through thick and thin – to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours – closer than you yourself keep it. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends, Frodo._ ” (J.R.R. Tolkien, _The Fellowship of the Ring_ )

Kurt spent Thursday and Friday arranging the opening event he had in mind for his new shop in Westerville. So far, he’d contacted Artie, whom he’d asked to help with the lighting and the music for his runway show, and the other New Directioners as potential models.

Bearing in mind that he’d probably get more requests for wedding dresses, he asked Santana and Brittany if they still had their wedding dresses and fit into them and would be prepared to model them. That made Santana fly into a rage and yell at him in a mixture of English and Spanish. How dared Kurt question if the dresses still fit! _Santa Maria_! They’d only been married for three years, and they looked as fabulous as ever!

On Friday afternoon, around five PM, a jubilant Adrienne called to report that Aunt Susan had been enraptured by all three of Kurt’s designs, as had an influential and überstylish friend of Aunt Susan, Adela Smythe. Barbara Keller, Adrienne’s mother, looked up to Mrs Smythe no end, so her praise for Kurt’s sketches, paired with Susan’s obvious admiration of them, had won Barbara over. There were no more objections to a coloured dress, yay! And seeing as that was the case, Adrienne would really like the starry night sky dress, if Kurt didn’t mind her changing her mind…

Kurt chuckled and reassured her that it was no problem at all. “These are just sketches, you know. I hadn’t ordered any fabric yet nor started to sew anything. Okay, the dark blue dress it is, then. I’ll look for the right fabric, and as soon as I’ve found it, I’ll give you a call, all right? Then you can pop in for a fitting whenever it’s convenient for you.”

Adrienne thanked him and rang off.

Kurt smiled to himself. Clearly, Mrs Smythe had not forgotten about him, and had helped him and Adrienne. Well, the least he could do to repay her was give Sebastian a call…

Sebastian picked up after the first ring. “Hey handsome! Miss me?”

Kurt laughed. “Hey Seb! It’s good to hear you. How are things?”

“Meaning, am I still alive and kicking and likely to be so for a good while longer? Yes, I am. Things are good. I spent most of the weekend at Elliot’s, and on Monday, I met with Elliot’s band to discuss my songs and the arrangements for them. On Tuesday afternoon, I went to another AA meeting, and on Wednesday, I saw my therapist again. Thursday, I had an appointment with Stephanie to go over the details of me being Elliot’s supporting act and to sign a contract. So it’s official now. And tonight, I’m going to the movies. I’m just waiting for Elliot to turn up. He said he’d be here around six.”

“Good,” said Kurt. “It sounds like your week was as busy as mine. I’ve been getting my new shop ready, and now I’m arranging a runway show to open my new business premises with a bang.”

The door of the apartment opened and Blaine came in with a “Hey honey, I’m home!”, starting and breaking off whatever he intended to say next when he noticed that Kurt was on the phone.

“Sebastian,” Kurt mouthed, pointing to his phone, and putting it on speaker. Blaine smiled, sat down next to Kurt on the sofa and said loudly “Hey Sebastian!”

“Hey pocket rocket! What’s up?”

“Well, I’ve just been to our house, and the leak in the roof has been fixed and the old kitchen taken out, so next week, they’ll be stripping out the old bathrooms,” Blaine told Sebastian.

“Yay, progress!” Sebastian drawled. “So tell me about this runway show. When’s it going to be?”

“Next Friday,” Kurt said promptly. “Why? Want to be part of it, Mr Top Model?”

Sebastian hummed. “Maybe… Would you make it worth my while?”

“Seb!” Kurt warned his friend, and both Sebastian and Blaine laughed.

“No need to sound so scandalised,” Sebastian reassured Kurt. “I was referring to your superior cooking skills. I miss your cooking so much, and it’s only been a week.”

“Oh… Well, you’re always welcome here, and I promise we’ll feed you well.”

“In that case, count me in!” Sebastian purred. “What will I be modelling?”

“Groom’s clothing,” Kurt said. “Can’t give you any more specifics right now. I’ll compile an outfit for you and send you pictures, if you insist.”

“I insist. So what’s our pocket rocket modelling, then?”

Kurt grinned. “Well, I have this costume I designed for Blaine when we’d only just become boyfriends, and I was planning on giving it to him for his birthday. But this opportunity is to perfect to pass up, so he’ll get his gift a month in advance, I guess.”

Blaine quirked an eyebrow, clearly curious, and Kurt mouthed “Later!”

“Nice birthday gift!” Sebastian approved. “Will you design me a suit for my birthday as well?”

“No, I won’t, Seb, sorry,” Kurt chuckled. “I’m only doing that for Blaine. Boyfriend privilege. If you ever get married though, I’ll design your suit. And your groom’s.”

Sebastian laughed. “I’ll hold you to that! I can’t imagine me getting married, though, so I think you’re safe.”

“Hey, never say never!” Blaine piped up. “How are things going with Elliot?”

“Things are fine,” Sebastian answered. “We’re not going to elope any time soon, but I like spending time with him, and he’s an amazing kisser. We’re going out tonight. To the cinema.”

Blaine’s eyes lit up. “Oh, what movie?”

“Don’t know, don’t care,” Sebastian drawled. “I’m in it for the snacks and the making out.”

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other and exploded with laughter.

“O-kay,” Blaine hiccupped. “Sounds like fun.”

“I know! Oh, that was the buzzer. Elliot’s here, so I’m going to hang up. Send me those pictures, Kurt, don’t forget. Bye!”

“Bye! Have fun!”

Kurt smiled and laid his phone on the coffee table. He grabbed Blaine by his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. Blaine complied eagerly, pushing Kurt onto his back so that Blaine lay on top of him, and kissing him until they were both out of breath.

Then Blaine gently rubbed his nose against Kurt’s. “Hey, you.”

Kurt grinned. “Hey, you.”

“What’s this I hear about me modelling next Friday?” Blaine asked. “I know you’ve contacted almost every male friend you have, but you never asked me, so I thought maybe you didn’t want me as a model.”

“I haven’t asked you yet?” Kurt gasped, honestly surprised. “Oh… I thought I’d already brought it up. I’m so sorry, honey! Of course I want you to model. Nobody looks better in a suit and a bow tie than you do. And I have the PERFECT suit for you. Wait here, I’ll show you.”

Kurt ran to the bedroom to go fetch the outfit and hurried back to Blaine, holding up the suit so that Blaine could see it in all its glory. The shirt was white, the vest pearl grey, the jacket and the pants a warm burgundy, and the finishing touch was a psychedelic black-and-white bow tie.

Blaine came closer and fingered the fabric of the jacket, the corners of his mouth turning up when he felt how soft it was to the touch.

“So, what do you think?” Kurt beamed.

Blaine grinned. “I think that I may need to give you a private show. Just to check if I fit all the requirements to walk in your runway show, you know. And then maybe I could be persuaded to give you a private striptease as well…”

Kurt’s mouth went dry. _Oh, yes!_

“I really like the bow tie, though,” Blaine mused. “So maybe I will leave it on.”

That mental image made Kurt’s brain short-circuit, and he threw the suit over the back of the sofa, growling under his breath, and pushed Blaine onto the sofa, kissing him for all he was worth.

_Let’s forget about the suit for a minute. That striptease can be the foreplay for round two…_


	128. Dinner Plans

# Chapter 128: Dinner Plans

“ _To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable._ ” (C.S. Lewis, _The Four Loves_ )

Blaine’s private show, however, was postponed when Kurt’s phone rang and kept ringing until Kurt answered it. It was Burt. “Have you guys run away to New York again?”

Puzzled, Kurt said they were in Westerville. “Why?”

“Are you so busy you’ve forgotten what day of the week it is, bud?” Burt asked.

_What? What day is it? Oh… Oh! It’s Friday! And it’s past seven PM already!_

“I’m so sorry, Dad,” Kurt apologised. “I didn’t realise it was Friday today. I have been really busy, yes.”

Burt sighed. “Forgetting about your old man already, huh? I see how it is… Now that you’ve found a boyfriend, your dad is too boring to spend time with.”

Kurt chuckled. “Oh, come on, Dad! This has nothing to do with Blaine or with me not wanting to see you. I honestly just forgot about Friday Night Dinner. Don’t pretend this is the first time. It’s happened before.”

“I know,” Burt grumbled, “but then you were only five minutes away and could still make it to dinner. Now that you’re in Westerville, that’s out of the question.”

“True. I’m really sorry, Dad. Do you want us to come for dinner tomorrow or Sunday instead?”

“Nah,” Burt said gruffly. “But don’t forget next week, okay?”

Kurt felt as if he’d been doused in ice water. “Uhm, Dad? I’m planning a runway show for next Friday, so we’re not going to be able to make it. You could come here, to Westerville? Have dinner with me and Blaine after the show?”

Burt grunted. “What about Finn and Rachel and the kids?”

“They’ll be in the runway show, so they’re coming here after school,” Kurt explained.

“Hmm,” Burt huffed. “Well, all right then. We’ll come to Westerville next week. When’s the runway show?”

“At six PM,” Kurt answered.

Kurt could hear Carole talking to Burt. She sounded excited.

“Okay, I’ve written it down on the chalkboard in the kitchen,” Burt said. “Carole’s looking forward to the runway show.”

“So am I,” Kurt smiled. “Sorry again, Dad, and I’ll see you next week. Send my love to Carole.”

“Will do. Bye, kiddo.”

“Bye, Dad.”

Kurt put his phone on the coffee table again and turned to Blaine, who looked guilty and whispered, “I totally forgot.”

Kurt bit his lip. “Me too. Oh… You’re okay with the Hudmels coming to dinner next Friday, aren’t you? I should have asked you first… It’s your apartment!”

Blaine smiled. “Of course they’re welcome here, any time. They’re family. And we live here together now, so it’s as much your place as mine. Invite anyone you like, I don’t mind. And I was right here, you know. If I hadn’t been okay with it, I would have said something.”

Kurt kissed Blaine gratefully. Then, another thought occurred to him. “Will we be able to fit eight people around your dining table?”

“Nine people,” Blaine corrected him. “Sebastian is coming too. And he might bring Elliot, so that’s ten. If you’re worried we’ll be too cramped, we can have dinner at the venue where you’re having the runway show. But this table of mine can be extended, and then it can seat twelve people. There won’t be much room to walk around it, though.”

Kurt beamed at Blaine, and in no time they were back where they left off.

K&B

The next day, while Blaine was working on his lesson plans and his latest story book, Kurt pieced together an outfit for Sebastian to model, took pictures of it, and sent them to Sebastian.

Not five minutes later, his phone beeped.

**From: Sebastian Smythe**

Mr Top Model approves! If I ever get nominated for an Oscar, you’ll let me wear this, won’t you?

**From: Sebastian Smythe**

Also, Elliot is totally pouting right now that he doesn’t get to model your designs.

Kurt laughed when he read Seb’s messages.

**To: Sebastian Smythe**

Tell Elliot he’s more than welcome to come along with you. I’m sure I can rustle up an outfit for him as well, though he might have to lose his facial piercings for the duration of the runway show.

**From: Sebastian Smythe**

Elliot says: Are there no rockstar grooms in Ohio?

Kurt snorted.

**To: Sebastian Smythe**

I doubt it. If Elliot’s not comfortable with me sprucing him up, he can just watch the show, you know.

**From: Sebastian Smythe**

Now look what you did [picture of Elliot pouting].

**To: Sebastian Smythe**

Tell Elliot to stop being such a big baby. I’ll assemble an outfit for him and send him pictures.

**From: Sebastian Smythe**

Yay!

**To: Sebastian Smythe**

We can’t offer the both of you accommodation yet, though. Our house is still being renovated, and Blaine’s apartment is small.

**From: Sebastian Smythe**

No worries. We’ll book a hotel room. I do expect you to feed us, though.

**To: Sebastian Smythe**

Of course I will! Bouillabaisse or lamb tajine?

**From: Sebastian Smythe**

Both choices sound amazing. I think we’ll arrive on Thursday and make you cook for us twice :-)

**To: Sebastian Smythe**

Fine by me, on condition that you go and see your mother while you’re here.

Sebastian took quite some time answering that text message.

_Was that too much to ask? I truly believe he’ll be happier with his mother in his life._

Half an hour later, however, Kurt’s phone beeped again.

**From: Sebastian Smythe**

You drive a hard bargain, sir, but I accept your terms. I don’t want to go ‘home’ and risk running into my father, though. Invite my mother to dinner or something. All right?

**To: Sebastian Smythe**

I will. See you soon!

Kurt smiled happily at the thought of Sebastian and Elliot coming to visit, and decided to call Mrs Smythe straightaway to ask her to dinner on Thursday evening.

It didn’t take long for Mrs Smythe to answer her phone. “Hello?”

“Mrs Smythe? This is Kurt Hummel.”

Kurt heard Mrs Smythe gasp. “Kurt… Is everything okay with Sebastian?”

_Uh-oh… I might have known she’d panic..._

“Sebastian’s perfectly fine, ma’am,” Kurt assured her. “He’s coming to Ohio at the end of the week, and that’s why I’m calling. Would you have dinner with us Thursday evening? Say, around seven?”

There was a pregnant pause before Mrs Smythe answered. “Kurt… I know you mean well… But I don’t think my son will be happy to see me turn up on your doorstep. He doesn’t want to see me or talk to me, and I must respect that.”

Her voice cracked a little as she spoke, and Kurt’s heart squeezed in his chest.

“Sebastian told me to invite you, ma’am,” Kurt countered her statement. “So it will be quite all right.”

There was silence again. Then Mrs Smythe whispered, “He did?”

“Yes, ma’am, he did,” Kurt confirmed. “Will Thursday evening at seven PM suit you?”

“Yes. Yes, I’ll be there. Thank you, Kurt!”

“Thank YOU for convincing Adrienne’s mom that coloured wedding dresses aren’t anathema,” Kurt chuckled. “You made Adrienne very happy, and you made my job a lot easier.”

Mrs Smythe laughed. “Oh, Barbara is such a fusspot. You should have heard her lecture Adrienne on the topic of wedding cakes and invitations last Friday. Really, as if that matters in the end! My wedding was picture-perfect and was featured in two bridal magazines. And look at me now. Yes, I live in a mansion and have everything money can buy. Everyone in Westerville envies me and copies my clothes, my hair, my garden designs and my Christmas decorations. But am I happy? No. I’m estranged from my son, I have a husband who cheats on me and whenever I’m not busy organising charity projects or my household, I’m desperately lonely. So yes, I made Barbara think that coloured wedding dresses are a wonderful new trend that I more than approve of, so that Adrienne can have the dress of her dreams. And your designs were worth every word of praise I gave them. You really have a knack for taking your client’s body type into account - that’s very important! And you think of practical matters, like the sleeves and the train. Susan showed me picture’s of Naomi’s dress, and I was very impressed. She told me you only had three days to whip that up, and I could hardly believe it.”

“I had a lot of help from my girlfriends,” Kurt explained.

“Even so, it’s very impressive. Well, I won’t keep you. Thank you for your invitation, and I’ll see you on Thursday!”

“I’m looking forward to it, ma’am!” Kurt said politely. “Have a nice day!”

Kurt hung up and saw Blaine look at him with an indecipherable expression. “What?”

“That will be an interesting dinner,” Blaine said softly. “I hope Sebastian will be nice to her. You can’t help meddling, can you?”

Kurt flushed slightly and got defensive. “I lost my mother when I was eight. I’d do anything to get her back, but I can’t. And Sebastian’s mother is right here and aching to see her son, and Sebastian NEEDS her. So yes, I’m giving him a little push in the right direction.”


	129. Phone Numbers and Cards

# Chapter 129: Phone Numbers and Cards

 _““Joe.” A scowl wrinkled her face. “If you tell Maddy you’ll only let her into your heart if she agrees to some list of conditions, then you haven’t learned as much as I’d hoped you would about what it means to love.”_ (Julie Ortolon, _Almost Perfect_ )

During lunch break on Thursday, while Tina was supervising the school yard and Chelsey was escorting home a child suffering from a stomach bug, Blaine approached Juliet to find out how she felt about Ryder. “Hey Jules!”

Juliet looked up from the book she was reading and smiled. “Hi Blaine!”

“So…” Blaine trailed off. “Ryder had fun yesterday, talking with the kids and playing soccer with them. He told me he enjoyed talking to you too.”

Juliet closed her book and started fiddling with the bookmark in it, keeping her eyes down as she admitted she had enjoyed the conversation as well.

_Good. Good… I was hoping you’d say that…_

“Ryder liked you,” Blaine stated bluntly. “He asked me if you were single.”

Juliet’s head snapped up, her mouth hanging slightly open. “Really?”

Blaine nodded.

“But… But I’m not at all the type of girl jocks are interested in!” Juliet spluttered, bewildered. “I’m not blonde, I’m not tan, I never wear make-up, my boobs are tiny and I’m geeky and boring.”

Blaine raised his eyebrows. “You’re not boring. Not at all. And not everyone likes buxom blondes, you know. Also, Ryder is a geek as well. Has been to the San Diego Comic Con heaps of times. Loves geocaching. Beats everyone at Settlers of Catan. And so on and so forth. Not all jocks are brainless oafs, you know. The fact that I’m friends with him should have clued you in that Ryder’s different. In a good way.”

Juliet conceded that. “Fair point. But seriously, he liked me?”

Blaine grinned. “He did. Told me to sound you out and report back to him. Oh, and to give you his phone number if you’d be interested in going on a date with him.”

Juliet’s eyes went even wider, but she didn’t say anything.

“So what do I tell him?” Blaine inquired. “Are you interested or not?”

Juliet coloured a little. “I like him too. Yes. I’m just… I’m not sure it could work out between us, long term, I mean, seeing as we’re quite different. But… I guess it’s worth a try. And it will get Chelsey off my back about needing to get back onto the singles market. She’s been nagging me about it for weeks. I went to her New Year’s Eve party and all she did was introduce me to every single male friend she’d invited. Awkward. Remind me never to go to her parties ever again.”

Blaine chuckled. “Chelsey means well, but she can be a bit too much, I know. She’s tried to set me up for the longest time as well.”

Juliet shuddered delicately.

Blaine slipped a sticky note into her hands. “That’s Ryder’s number, in case you decide to contact him. No pressure. It’s up to you.”

Juliet flashed Blaine a smile. “Thank you.”

K&B

In class, Florian reported proudly that his father had promised to come watch his soccer matches from now on. “Dad said: ‘If Ryder says you’re good, you must be really something.’ And he’s going to play soccer with me when he’s got time in the evening and during the weekend.”

Florian beamed when Blaine held up a hand and high-fived him enthusiastically.

“Dad played with me yesterday and wanted to know where I’d learned that header move, and I told him Mr A had taught me, and then he asked if you’d ever played professionally. Have you, Mr A?”

Blaine laughed and shook his head. “No, I haven’t. But I have several friends who played either football or soccer in college, and Ryder is now a professional player, as you all know. My friend Nick might have been as well, only his knee got injured very badly one day. So badly that he’ll never be able to play soccer anymore. He works as a physical therapist now. I learned most of my soccer moves from him.”

Florian frowned. “Your friend got hurt?”

Blaine nodded, his face deadly serious. “Not everyone plays nicely, I’m afraid. Nick got hurt as the result of a nasty tackle. He fell exactly wrong. Which is why, when I’m playing with you guys, I focus so much on how to fall without getting hurt.”

“Will Ryder come back and play with us again?” Florian asked hopefully.

Blaine smiled. “Maybe one day. Ryder trains and travels a lot, though. I’m not sure he’ll be able to find the time. He has a busy season ahead of him.”

Florian nodded solemnly. “Can I make him a card? To say thank you and to wish him good luck winning his matches?”

“That’s a lovely idea,” Blaine approved. “Very well, class. We’re going to craft cards this afternoon. I want you to think about someone who deserves a card from you, and then think of a message you’ll write inside. If there are words you’re not sure how to spell, just ask me, okay? If I don’t know how to spell it either, we’ll look it up in the dictionary. The coloured paper is on my desk, and the glue and the glitter are in the cupboard. Don’t be greedy. Take only what you need, and share with your classmates.”

Five minutes later, when everyone was busy drawing and cutting, Blaine made his rounds and stopped at Larissa’s desk when she shyly tugged at his sweater. “Yes?”

“I want to make a card for my grandpa,” Larissa whispered.

“That’s nice,” Blaine answered. “So what are you going to draw?”

“I’m drawing my grandpa and me, walking through his garden.”

“I’m sure it will be beautiful,” Blaine assured her.

Larissa still looked troubled. “I just don’t know…”

“What to write inside?” Blaine surmised. “Just tell him you love him. I’m sure that will be enough.”

Larissa shook her head. “I know what to write. That I miss him, lots and lots. What I don’t know is how to give him the card. He’s in heaven now. Do they even have a mailbox in heaven?”

Blaine swallowed. “I don’t know. Maybe you could hang the card onto a helium balloon and then let it fly to heaven? Would that work?”

Larissa’s expression cleared up, and she nodded happily. “Can we do that here? In the school yard?”

Blaine frowned. “I’d have to ask our principal if we have a helium pump lying around somewhere. I seem to remember we do. I’ll ask during the afternoon break, all right?”

Larissa beamed at him and went back to work, quietly humming to herself.

As promised, Blaine asked the principal, and Blaine’s class attracted a lot of attention after school, when they sent Larissa’s card up in the air in the middle of the school yard. All the children wanted to know what was going on, and Larissa got lots of cuddles when she told them her grandpa had died and she was trying to reach him.

Larissa’s mom came to fetch her daughter in the middle of the hubbub and listened to Larissa’s story with glistening eyes and a hand over her mouth. She looked at Blaine and mouthed “Thank you”.

Blaine smiled and said softly, “I’m sorry for your loss.”

K&B

When Blaine got home after checking on their house, Kurt was on the phone with Sebastian. Blaine said hello to Sebastian and told him about the ongoing renovations.

The subject then changed to Kurt’s runway show, and Sebastian professed that he wanted to take part in the show, and somehow that led to Sebastian asking what outfit Blaine would be modelling.

Blaine fully expected Kurt to laugh and say Blaine wouldn’t model in the show, seeing as Kurt hadn’t discussed this with Blaine, but Kurt surprised him by saying that he had the perfect suit for Blaine.

Sebastian then told them he was going out with Elliot, and hung up.

After some cuddle time, Blaine brought up the subject of the runway show again, and Kurt seemed genuinely surprised that it was news to Blaine he would be expected to model. He ran to fetch Blaine’s suit, and Blaine’s eyes widened when he saw it.

_Oh wow! I’m going to look like a million bucks in that!_


	130. A Private Modelling Show

# Chapter 130: A Private Modelling Show

“ _Licence my roving hands, and let them go_

 _Before, behind, between, above, below._ ”

(John Donne, _The Complete English Poems_ )

Blaine touched the suit reverently.

_And this was to be my birthday present next month? Wow. Kurt really gives the best presents. I treasure my autographed book and my bow ties, but this… I have plenty of suits and tuxes, but none of them was specifically made with me in mind. I bet it will fit like a glove and make me look like a movie star._

And then another thought occurred to him and he grinned lasciviously, announcing his intent to try on the suit and then take it off again slowly, piece by piece.

Kurt’s Adam’s apple went up and down a few times in quick succession, and his breathing sped up, which Blaine took to mean that Kurt liked the idea.

Then Blaine turned it up a notch by casually remarking he might just leave his bow tie on, and Kurt pounced on Blaine.

Their fun was stopped short a while later when Kurt’s phone rang and wouldn’t stop ringing. Kurt picked up, and it proved to be Burt, who reminded them that it was Friday and past time for the Hudmel dinner.

Blaine’s stomach clenched uncomfortably.

_Oh no! We’ve forgotten about the Friday dinner again! I hope Burt isn’t too angry. Okay, this is it! I’m programming a weekly reminder on my phone so that we will never forget again. On second thought, better make that two. A reminder on Thursday evening not to plan anything the next day, and a reminder on Friday just when school is out, so that I know that I need to get home straightaway and get ready to go to Lima._

Blaine fiddled with his phone to schedule the weekly reminders, with pricked-up ears so as to hear Kurt’s conversation with his father. Kurt didn’t think it was a big deal, clearly, and told Burt that he’d forgotten to show up many times before, and that he and Blaine could come for dinner on Saturday or Sunday instead.

Burt waved that off, but told Kurt not to forget next time. Kurt instantly looked stricken, and Blaine realised at the same time as his boyfriend did that next Friday was to be runway day, and there was no way they’d be able to make it to Lima on time for dinner.

Kurt broke the news to Burt, and hesitantly asked him if he and Carole would mind coming to Westerville for the Hudmel dinner, just this once.

_Yes, that seems the best solution. Rachel and Finn and their children will be here anyway. Only, there will be an extra guest in the form of Sebastian. I don’t think Kurt has factored that in yet. Huh, I wonder what Burt will think of him… Here’s hoping Sebastian won’t say anything too outrageous._

Burt groused a little but agreed easily, telling Kurt to expect him and Carole in time for the fashion show, and then rang off.

Kurt turned to Blaine, who instantly apologised for forgetting about the Hudmel dinner.

Kurt didn’t seem to blame him, however. His mind was already on next week’s dinner, and he bit his lip and worried that he should have asked Blaine first before inviting his whole family to Blaine’s apartment.

Blaine felt his lips stretch from ear to ear.

_What are you talking about? I love the fact that you feel at home enough here with me to invite your family over. And they’re family to me too, now._

Blaine said as much, and Kurt beamed at him and gave him a kiss. After a moment, though, the worry lines on his forehead reappeared, as he doubted Blaine’s dinner table would fit eight people.

_Yes, he’s forgotten all about Sebastian…_

Blaine gently reminded Kurt that Sebastian would be having dinner with them too, and might bring Elliot. However, as his table had extension slides, that wouldn’t be a problem. There was even room for two more people.

That put Kurt at ease, and he tilted his head to the side, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “Now, where were we?”

Blaine grinned and ran to the bathroom to put the suit on. Then he strutted back into the living room, and walked from one end to the other as though it was a catwalk, executing a neat turn that spoke of his Warbler days and walking back to Kurt, stopping in front of his boyfriend and making a slow pirouette so that Kurt could admire the outfit from all sides. After that, he stood still, with his chin up, his hand on his right hip and his eyes half-lidded and smouldering. “So what’s the verdict, Mr. Big Shot Designer? Will I do as a model?”

Kurt looked mesmerised, his eyes glassy, and there were pink spots high on his cheeks.

“Well,” Kurt drawled, “you might want to tone down the sex eyes a little for the real fashion show or you’ll risk making all my invitees pregnant just by looking at them. I bet Sebastian will call me in a minute because he smelled the pheromones all the way from New York.”

Blaine threw his head back and laughed. “Point taken. But this is a private show, so I can go just that bit further.”

Blaine fingered his bow tie and then slowly, ever so slowly, loosened it and dangled it in front of Kurt’s nose. “Keep this safe for me? I might need it later…”

Kurt exhaled shakily and nodded, taking the bow tie and then leaning back against the sofa, breathing heavily, his eyes riveted on Blaine.

Blaine smirked and continued, opening his jacket, shrugging it off and hanging it over one shoulder nonchalantly, twirling around again. Then he carefully laid the jacket on the back of the sofa and popped open the first button of his shirt, winking at Kurt as he did so. He took his time undoing the shirt, looking at Kurt from under his lashes and licking his lips, and then, before he took the shirt off, he ran his hands all over his chest sensually, never once taking his eyes from Kurt’s, and smirking when he saw how much that affected his boyfriend.

“Help me with the cufflinks, please?” Blaine purred. It took some time for Kurt to react to Blaine’s question. He flushed a divine red and quickly undid the cufflinks.

“Thank you,” Blaine sing-songed, and soon, the shirt joined the jacket on the sofa.

 _I am so doing this again… I’m having so much fun reducing Kurt to mush. Just look at him! I haven’t even started taking off my pants yet and he seems one second away from creaming his pants_.

Blaine undid his belt and slowly let it slide through all the loops, after which he threw it onto Kurt’s lap. Then he spun around again, and stopped with his back to Kurt, looking over his shoulder at his boyfriend, all wide-eyed innocence. “Honey, do these pants make my butt look big?”

Kurt bit his lip but didn’t say a word, and Blaine smirked and started shimmying out of his pants. He folded them up nicely and laid them on top of the other clothes. He took the pile and then made a big show of bending over to deposit them on the coffee table for safekeeping in case they wanted to have sex on the sofa, wiggling his butt a little as he did so.

That finally made Kurt snap. He was up in a flash and grabbed Blaine by the hips. “Okay! Okay… Enough already. Let’s take this to the bedroom or it will be all over before it even gets started!”

Blaine turned around to face Kurt, and pouted exaggeratedly. “But I was about to give you a lapdance!”

Kurt’s eyes widened, and he choked out, “Keep that for round two. Bedroom. Now!”


	131. Friends and Flyers

# Chapter 131: Friends and Flyers

“ _Come and share a pot of tea,_

 _My home is warm and my friendship’s free_.”

(Emilie Barnes)

Kurt spent the rest of his weekend catching up on his orders, sketching dresses for three more prospective clients and of course for Mercedes, and designing an eye-catching yet classy invitation he’d send to all his Westerville-based and Columbus-based clients, as well as a flyer to distribute door to door in the streets surrounding his new shop.

The venue was the nearby hotel where Naomi’s wedding celebration had taken place, and there was room for 350 guests. Kurt very much doubted that more than a hundred people would show up on such short notice and on a Friday night, but it never hurt to be optimistic.

Artie had promised to bring along a friend to record the show, so that Kurt could put it on YouTube afterwards, in the hope that prospective clients would see it and be so impressed that they’d drop by to browse and order and buy.

On Sunday, the Hudson-Berry’s came for dinner and also to try on the KEH originals they’d model in Kurt’s show. Rachel, of course, would model her wedding dress, which she had brought along. It was still in pristine condition, but after giving birth to two children, Rachel’s hips had widened, so Kurt spent his afternoon carefully opening the seams and discreetly inserting a panel of extra fabric on both sides. Sarah would look resplendent in a pale pink flower girl dress, complete with a basket of fresh rose petals, and Finn and Toby would wear matching grey suits.

Rachel wanted to see what Kurt and Blaine would be wearing, too, and Blaine lit up like a firework and ran of to go fetch his suit and chatter excitedly about how he loved the colours, and wasn’t the bow tie just perfect? Blaine paired that last remark with a roguish wink at Kurt, while Rachel was distracted admiring Blaine’s outfit, and Kurt willed himself not to blush at the recollection of exactly what the bow tie had been perfect for on Friday.

_Think of other stuff, Hummel. Now’s not the time._

Kurt was more reluctant than Blaine to reveal his outfit for the runway show, but ended up giving in to Rachel’s persistent nagging. It was worth it to see both Rachel’s and Blaine’s eyes widen when they saw the turquoise textured blazer and matching pants. Kurt had paired the blazer with a purple shirt and a heart brooch.

“That aquamarine will bring out the colour of your eyes very nicely,” Rachel gushed. “Beautiful.”

Blaine nodded. “It’s gorgeous. I used to think there wasn’t much variety in formal men’s wear, but you certainly changed my mind on that count. You never stick to just black and grey and white, yet none of the outfits you’ve designed seem like too much. There’s always a perfect balance, and your clients look great in the costumes you make them.”

Finn pursed his lips. “Huh. It looks nice and all, but I’m glad you’re not making me wear that colour.”

Kurt suppressed a grin. “I would never.”

K & B

Kurt sent the files for the invitation and the flyer to the Westerville printer he always worked with for his publicity, and on Monday afternoon, he received an e-mail notification that his prints were done and could be picked up at the printer’s. He fetched them, and started hand-writing addresses on envelopes for the invitations. Printing labels would certainly have been faster, but this way, the invitation would stand out more among other publicity mailings, and that was Kurt’s intent.

When Blaine came home, he found Kurt still hard at work, and after a kiss or two and a quick update about the renovation works, Blaine went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

After dinner, they did the dishes together, and then Kurt wrapped himself up warmly and told Blaine he’d be out for a while to distribute flyers. Without a word, Blaine put on his shoes, coat and scarf as well, and held out his hands for a box of flyers.

Kurt handed him a box with a muttered but heartfelt thanks and kissed him gratefully.

_I know I never cease thinking and saying it, but Blaine is absolutely perfect!_

What had seemed such a dreaded chore five minutes ago, became a treat with Blaine by his side. Blaine started humming and then singing, first “On the street where you live”, making heart-eyes at Kurt and dancing around him, pretending to offer him a bouquet of flyers, and then, [when it started to rain and Blaine and Kurt had to hurry to find shelter](http://kendrawcandraw.tumblr.com/post/25768696634/anon-requested-klaine-caught-in-a-thunderstorm-i), Blaine chose the appropriate “Singing in the rain” instead. Blaine pulled Kurt under the awning of a nearby shop, where they waited for the rain to stop while running through their entire rain songs repertoire, giggling like mad when a man hurried by with his coat over his head and threw them an unbelieving look, shaking his head.

They distributed flyers in five streets and then returned home.

“I’ll do the rest tomorrow,” Kurt murmured, putting the remaining flyers into just one box, and pulling Blaine in for a kiss. “But you’re a godsend, sweetheart. Thank you SO much for your help.”

Blaine grinned and stole another kiss. “We’re a team now, right? And we work well as a team.”

“We do,” Kurt agreed, and together, they wearily trudged off to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

K&B

On Tuesday evening, Mercedes and Sam dropped in, Mercedes to look at Kurt’s sketches for her wedding dress and Sam to try on the deep blue suit he’d be modelling. The jacket had to be nipped in at the waist a little, and the pants needed to be let out at the hem, so Kurt busied himself with pins until he’d gotten it just right, and then Sam gingerly took everything off again and put his own clothes back on.

“Hey dude,” Sam remarked conversationally, “that’s a really nice suit. Could you make me one like that for when Mercedes and I get hitched?”

“Don’t call me dude,” Kurt replied testily. “But yes, you can have this suit for your wedding, or a similar one if you don’t care for the colour.”

“Sweet!” Sam grinned, and he held out his fist to bump. Kurt rolled his eyes but humoured Sam, smiling.

“So when do you want us at the venue?” Mercedes asked.

“Well, the show starts at six PM, so if you could be there by four thirty, that would be ideal. That gives us time for some last-minute adjustments if necessary.”

Sam and Mercedes promised they’d be there on time and wanted to take their leave, but Blaine called from behind the stove that they were welcome to stay for dinner and discuss their wedding.

When Mercedes protested, Blaine waved that off easily. “It’s spaghetti tonight, and there’s plenty of it to go round, and we enjoy your company. We didn’t get to talk to you long enough last time, and you and Kurt have so many things to decide upon for your wedding. Better get down to it while Kurt isn’t swamped in orders yet, as he will after the runway show.”

Kurt smiled at him indulgently while he started setting the table for four. “Ever the optimist.”

“Now don’t be like that, boo,” Mercedes reproved Kurt. “You’re not very well known because you chose to stay in Lima, but I believe that here in Westerville, you will attract many more clients, certainly after that big society wedding you did with all the local bigwigs. And at my wedding, you can be sure that I will do a lot of name-dropping, and if there are magazines that want exclusive coverage of my wedding, I’ll stipulate that they have to mention you as the designer and describe the dress thoroughly.”

Kurt laid his hand on her arm, touched. “Thank you, honey. I don’t really want to become famous, though. I’m happy to stay here in my little corner of Ohio.”

Mercedes gave him a piercing look, but didn’t comment, though her nostrils flared in disagreement.

During dinner, they chatted happily about Mercedes’ second album and about the new ad campaign Sam had booked for a Paco Rabanne perfume.

Afterwards, Kurt took his wedding scrapbook and his big book of swatches and steered Mercedes towards the sofa to talk weddings. Mercedes had already contacted the venue of her choice and they had an opening on the sixteenth of August, and she had booked the place for that date, only would they be able to pull off organising the wedding in so short a time frame?

Blaine, who’d nestled himself against Kurt’s side and was eyeing the scrapbook with interest, assured Mercedes that seven months would be plenty of time. After all, the venue and the dress were already sorted out, weren’t they, and those were the two most important factors.

Mercedes raised an eyebrow at Kurt and said in an undertone, “I see what you meant about Blaine being an optimist.”

Kurt laughed. “In this case, I’m sure he’s right, sweetie. Don’t forget, you have me to help you out, and Rachel has pledged her assistance as well. Together, we’ll make sure you have the wedding of your dreams.”


	132. Artie Offers Assistance

# Chapter 132: Artie Offers Assistance

“ _You may tire of reality but you never tire of dreams._ ” (L.M. Montgomery, _The Road to Yesterday_ )

Wednesday found Kurt at the hotel where the runway show was to take place, with Artie by his side, going over the details with the hotel manager while Puck and Jake were constructing the catwalk in the big ballroom. Artie was describing the lighting and the DJ set he needed, and ran through the entire show for the manager’s benefit, explaining just why he chose that particular spotlight and that specific song, gesticulating with abandon, his eyes shining.

 _That’s why he makes such a splendid director_ , Kurt mused. _He has a good eye for what will work and what won’t, yes, but it’s his enthusiasm that clinches the matter._

By the afternoon, everything was in place, and Artie insisted on trying it all out to see if his plans needed tweaking. Kurt had given Artie a list of the people modelling and sketches of the outfits they’d be wearing, but of course, as he was the only one present at the moment, Kurt did the modelling, and Artie told him when to go slower or faster or do something fancy. “Now tip your imaginary hat to the public!”

Kurt rolled his eyes but did as he was told, walking the runway until Artie finally pronounced himself satisfied. Kurt got off the catwalk and let out a sigh. “Huh… I’m glad I never chose modelling as a career. How Sam deals with this stuff day after day, I really can’t fathom.”

“At least you feel at home in fancy clothes,” Artie countered. “You’ve got Finn modelling for you, and he really doesn’t like monkey suits, so he’s worse off than you.”

Kurt conceded the point. “True. However, I look after his children for one weekend a month, so he owes me.”

Artie made a face. “Rather you than me!”

Kurt smiled. “Blaine loves it when Sarah and Toby sleep over. He plans all sorts of activities, and he’s just as excited as they are. It’s sweet.”

Artie quirked an eyebrow. “So now that you’ve moved in together after knowing each other for half a minute, you’re already planning on adopting kids or something?”

Kurt bristled. “For your information, we’d been together for two months already at the time, and no, we’re not. Not yet, at any rate. We both want children, someday. That much I know. We will probably adopt in a few years or so, once we’re married and settled.”

“So he’s your forever, then?” Artie probed.

Kurt nodded. “He is. No doubt about that.”

“Huh… Wish I had your certainty sometimes. I’ve had plenty of girlfriends, but none I could see myself staying together with long-term.”

“What happened with Kitty, anyway?” Kurt asked. “I really thought you two would make it.”

“College happened, man,” Artie shrugged. “We never saw each other anymore. I came home only every other weekend, and Kitty usually had plans with her Cheerio friends and her new glee club friends, and sometimes I tagged along, but I felt like a third wheel, you know? Wow, bad joke in there. Anyway, and then there were lots of girls at college that seemed into me. What’s nerdy in Ohio is hipster in New York, who knew? So, yeah, it kind of petered out between us. Most long-distance relationships tank, you know.”

Kurt hummed non-committally, since no, he didn’t really know. Blaine was his first relationship, and he wasn’t planning on losing sight of him ever again.

Just then, Blaine walked in and gave Kurt a hug and a kiss.

“Everything looks great,” Blaine approved. “Puck and Jake told me they’d be at our apartment in half an hour, tops, for their fitting, and I invited them to stay for dinner afterwards, but they both said they were expected at home. Artie, do you want to join us for dinner? I’m making pizza.”

Artie beamed. “I’ll never say no to pizza, man! Thanks for the invite.”

Kurt nodded briskly. “That’s convenient, since you still have to try on your suit as well, Artie.”

Artie turned to Kurt, bewildered. “Say what?”

“You’re going to be the DJ on Friday,” Kurt explained. “Everyone’s going to see you, so I want you dressed in KEH’s finest as well.”

“Huh… Fair enough,” conceded Artie. “Might as well look my best when a lot of hot women turn up to see your clothes. At least I hope there will be hot women. And the kind that isn’t engaged to be married yet.”

Blaine chuckled, and Kurt rolled his eyes. “There will be plenty of women, I’m sure. I can’t make any promises as to their hotness or single status, though. Okay, let’s go home.”

Blaine beamed, and offered Kurt his arm. “We live only a few blocks away from here, Artie. You can go first, and I’ll tell you where to go left or right.”

Artie proved a pepperoni kind of man, and the pizza that came out of the oven while Kurt was still adjusting Jake’s sleeves smelled so delectable that Puck and Jake each sneaked a small slice of it before heading home.

Kurt took the opportunity to tell Artie about his TV series idea, showing Artie the script he’d written for the pilot. It was already a second version, with a Devon that had been rewritten with Elliot in mind.

“Hmm, it’s got potential,” Artie acknowledged. “I’ve heard of Sebastian Smythe. Apparently, he’s good. Never met him, though. I’m strictly an indies director, and he’s more a blockbuster and TV kind of guy.”

“He’s good,” Kurt confirmed. “I played his younger brother for eight years, and he’s a terrific actor.”

“I’ve heard of Elliot Gilbert, too, but I thought he was a rock star?”

“He is,” Kurt nodded. “But he can act, too. I wouldn’t have chosen him otherwise.”

“Hmm, I’ll reserve my judgment until I’ve seen him in action,” Artie decided.

Kurt grinned in triumph. “So you’ll do it? You’ll direct the pilot for me?”

“Yes, I’m free this summer. I’ve got two projects going, but they wrap up in April and in June. Do I bring my usual film crew?”

Kurt grinned even wider. “Yes, please.”

“So who’s funding the pilot?” Artie asked next.

And Kurt was off again on his crowdfunding spiel, but this time, Blaine countered that Kurt didn’t necessarily have to come out and say that he was Mark Easterbrook. “No, no, hear me out first… Let Sebastian and Elliot handle it. Your book is coming out around Valentine’s, right? And you wanted to do an Ellen interview just after the launch? Well, let Sebastian and Elliot appear on The Ellen Show to promote Elliot’s concert tour, and then confirm their relationship and act a bit lovey-dovey. And then Ellen asks them what brought them together, and they say ‘Mark Easterbrook’ and pose as fanboys of your books, and say that they have the idea to turn the books into a TV series and have contacted the author, who has agreed to a TV adaptation with them as the main actors. And then they announce that they will start a crowdfunding campaign to make a pilot. The crowd will eat it up.”

Kurt pursed his lips. “You want them to lie?”

Blaine smiled. “Well, you DID bring them together, so that wouldn’t be a lie.”

Kurt wavered. It would let him off the hook, but it was a lot to ask of Sebastian and Elliot.

“For what it’s worth, I think it’s a good idea,” Artie offered his opinion. “They’re both famous and have a different fanbase. If you offer decent rewards for the crowdfunding, you’ll have enough money in no time.”

“I’ll discuss it with Seb and Elliot,” Kurt promised. “I’ll see if they are up for it.”


	133. Getting Runway Ready

# Chapter 133: Getting Runway Ready

“ _So we grew together like to a double cherry, seeming parted, but yet a union in partition, two lovely berries molded on one stem._ ” (William Shakespeare, _A Midsummer Night's Dream_ )

Blaine soon proved to be right in his assumption that Elliot might come along to the runway show with Sebastian. The very next day, when Kurt sent Sebastian pictures of the outfit he wanted him to wear and he got Sebastian’s feedback, it wasn’t so much about the outfit as it was about Elliot being jealous and eager to participate as well. Kurt readily agreed to that plan, and Blaine grinned happily.

_The more the merrier… It will be awesome to see them again so soon. I thought we would have to wait until March…_

Sebastian announced that they’d be arriving on Thursday already, if Kurt promised to cook for them twice. Kurt gave his word, but tacked a condition onto it: Sebastian had to go see his mother while he was in Ohio.

_What is it with Kurt and meddling with other people’s families? Mine too! He wants me to see my mother and my brother, and I really can’t fathom why he cares. It’s not like I NEED them. I’m all grown up, and I’ve got Kurt and his family. That’s enough for me._

Sebastian accepted Kurt’s terms, though. Was he truly ready to see Mrs Smythe again, or was he, like Blaine, a push-over where Kurt was concerned?

Blaine had to admit that Mrs Smythe, once Kurt had told her she’d see her son again next Thursday, sounded so incredulously happy that it brought a lump to his throat.

_Here’s hoping Sebastian will be nice to her… I’m sure the bridges between them will take time to mend, but I’m crossing my fingers that Sebastian will be mellowed enough by Elliot’s presence to at the very least be neutral and polite to her. He’ll feel like lashing out, I’m sure…_

When Kurt hung up the phone, after a lot of gushing from Mrs Smythe about the wedding dress designs he’d made for Adrienne, Blaine was still thinking of all the ways Thursday night dinner could go wrong.

Kurt must have read from Blaine’s face that something was bothering him, and asked what the matter was. Then, when Blaine gently voiced his concerns, Kurt’s chin went up and his eyes glinted, and he hotly defended his right to try and patch up family problems since he knew from experience what it felt like to really lose a parent, and he didn’t want anyone to go through that by choice.

_Oh… I see… That makes sense. I’m not sure you’ll succeed in reconciling Seb and I with our respective families, but I can see why you feel the need to try._

Blaine pulled Kurt towards him in a hug, and after a while, he could feel Kurt’s rigid spine relax.

“Do you… Do you really think Seb will be horrid to his mother?” Kurt asked, sounding anxious.

“It’s possible,” Blaine answered truthfully. “Then again, he usually listens to you, so if you tell him to behave and give her an honest chance, he probably will.”

Kurt nodded, his chin in the air again. “I will.”

K&B

Kurt was clearly one of those people who thrived on deadlines, thrumming with tireless energy all weekend and getting an enormous load of work done. Blaine, in between the grocery shopping, the household chores, his schoolwork and editing his new book, made sure to ply Kurt with food and water and coffee at regular intervals. Usually, that roused Kurt from his distraction just long enough to eat, clear the table and help do the dishes afterwards, but then he was lost to the world again.

By the time Sunday afternoon rolled around, Kurt had managed to sew and box up a dozen bow tie and scarve orders, draw six wedding dress sketches and design an invitation and flyer for his show on Friday.

Then the bell rang, and Kurt wearily passed a hand over his eyes and went to the intercom to let his brother and his family in.

Blaine smiled in satisfaction.

_Excellent timing! The chocolate cake is almost cooled off enough to eat._

Sarah and Toby looked around the apartment for Blaine, and when they saw him, they let out a war cry and hurtled in his direction, propelling themselves towards him with so much force that Blaine was knocked flat onto the floor.

“Have you been making cookies?” Toby wanted to know. “It smells like cookies in here.”

Blaine grinned and then put his index finger in front of his mouth. “It’s cake, but shhh! Don’t tell anyone yet. Your dad has to try on his suit first, and you know what he’ll be like as soon as he hears there’s cake!”

Toby nodded solemnly. “I won’t tell.”

“Good,” Blaine approved. “Let’s get you in your suit first, and then afterwards, you can help me frost the cake, how’s that?”

“Yay!” Toby yelled.

“Can I help too?” Sarah asked, and Blaine beamed. “Of course. Do you think you could help me make some marzipan flowers to go on top of the cake?”

Sarah squealed excitedly, and scampered off to Kurt to get through the fitting part of the afternoon as soon as possible. She stopped short, though, when she saw the [gorgeous princess dress](http://www.yourpartydresses.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/light-pink-flower-girl-dresses.jpg) Kurt had set aside for her. Pale pink, gauzy and shimmery, with a lovely rose to one side and embroidery all over the bodice, it was absolutely beautiful, and Sarah’s eyes shone. Kurt promised she could have the dress afterwards, as an early birthday present.

“Very early,” Rachel grumbled, “seeing as her birthday is in October! You spoil her rotten, Kurt!”

But Kurt didn’t hear, or pretended not to. Blaine chuckled under his breath as he helped Toby into his miniature suit, and then lent a hand to take it off again when Kurt pronounced the fit perfect.

“Cake frosting now?” Blaine whispered to Toby, leading him to the kitchen, guessing rightly that Sarah would want to parade around in her stunning dress for a while longer, and wanting to get the groundwork done. Unsurprisingly, Toby ended up doing more taste-testing than decorating. Blaine laughed when he saw Toby’s chocolate moustache and beard, and quickly wiped his hands clean to snap a picture of it with his phone.

Sarah, lured by the chocolate cake and frosting, put on her regular clothes again and came to help. With Blaine’s assistance, she was soon making marzipan roses, hearts, butterflies, fairies, and anything her flight of fancy prompted, and she only stopped when the cake looked like the very [impersonation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6J_fRINhq_g/T3mTeiz-zjI/AAAAAAAABYs/flPEZzD9lAE/s1600/PICT0068.JPG).

Rachel exclaimed over the cake her children had decorated, and Sarah and Toby proudly posed next to it for a picture.

“With your skills, maybe I’ll let you help for my next specialty cake,” Rachel promised Sarah. “Those roses are gorgeous!”

Sarah beamed. “Uncle Blaine taught me!”

It proved quite a challenge to coax Kurt away from Rachel’s dress to have some coffee and cake. Kurt pronounced the cake beautiful and scrumptious, and then gobbled up his slice even faster than Finn, draining his coffee cup right after and hurrying back to the dress.

Rachel tutted indulgently. “He’s always been like that. Gets his mind stuck on something and won’t budge until it’s done.”

Blaine chuckled. “Tell me about it. Kurt has been home the whole weekend, but he might as well have been on Mars for all the attention he’s paid me. Totally in the zone. I have to prise him from his work to even make him eat.”

Kurt doggedly kept working until the dress fit perfectly, and then let out a weary sigh and sank onto the sofa.

Rachel, in an attempt to perk Kurt up, asked him what he and Blaine would be wearing, and Blaine needed no more prompting to go fetch his outfit and praise it up to heaven, especially that lovely bow tie, that would see a lot more action if Blaine had anything to say about it. The way Kurt’s ears went red as Blaine held up the bow tie and pronounced it perfect made Blaine think Kurt would totally be up for that.

And then Rachel managed to persuade Kurt to show them his outfit for Friday, and wow, was it gorgeous!

_Nobody will look at us models even for a second as long as Kurt is walking around wearing this…_

K & B

Monday, at noon, Blaine was supervising the school yard when Juliet shyly approached him.

“Hey Jules, what’s up?”

Juliet fidgeted with the hem of her sweater, and then blurted out, “I texted Ryder, and we went out Saturday night.”

“So how was it?” Blaine asked.

Juliet bit her lip, and then smiled softly. “We spent nearly the whole time talking. And it’s weird. Usually I feel awkward on dates, you know. Especially first dates. It’s all stilted conversation and keeping it going is hard work. But with Ryder… I don’t know… It kind of flowed naturally. It’s like I’ve known him since we were children, and I feel at ease with him.”

Juliet paused for a second and laughed. “You’re right about him being a bit of a nerd. We got into a heated discussion about what would have happened if the [twins’ roles had been reversed](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskScienceFiction/comments/2cp4qg/luke_and_leia_are_switched_at_birth_he_becomes/) in the Star Wars films.”

Blaine whistled. “Oooh… Once you got him started on that topic, however did you manage to shut him up again?”

Juliet blushed. “I kissed him. He was walking me home by then, and we’d arrived at my house.”

Blaine grinned. “That would work, yes. So is there going to be a second date?”

Juliet went back to fiddling with her sweater. “If he contacts me again, then yes. It’s his turn to take the initiative now.”

Blaine nodded approvingly, and then went to separate two fighting boys, after which he asked Juliet to take one of them inside to patch up his bleeding lip.

K&B

When Blaine stepped into his apartment that afternoon, Kurt was sitting at Blaine’s desk, heaps and heaps of envelopes in front of him, some of them addressed and stamped, others still blank. Kurt was writing the addresses in beautiful lettering, his forehead screwed up in concentration and his thumb and index finger just as turquoise by now as the nib of his pen.

Blaine greeted Kurt with a couple of kisses and told him that Puck and Jake had agreed to come install a catwalk at the venue on Wednesday, as Kurt had asked. Then Blaine left Kurt to his calligraphy and went to the kitchen to prepare a quick meal.

Kurt had to be reminded twice to come and eat, but during dinner he was chatty and in excellent spirits, and afterwards, he helped with the dishes.

Blaine fully expected Kurt to go right back to writing envelopes, but he was mistaken. Kurt bundled himself up to go outside and put flyers into mailboxes.

_Well, that’s going to go a lot faster if I help out… And then maybe I can get some kisses and cuddles._

So Blaine was quick to put on his outerwear as well, and followed Kurt with another box of flyers. They nearly got drenched when a sudden rainstorm hit their part of town, but Blaine managed to find them a roof over their heads in time to avoid the flyers being ruined, and then cheered Kurt up by singing a series of rain-related songs, from “It’s Raining Men” to “Purple Rain”.

As soon as it stopped raining, they chanced their luck again and managed to distribute flyers in a few more streets, before Kurt confessed that he was too tired to continue and they went home and straight to bed.

Kurt gave Blaine a deep kiss and then murmured goodnight, put his head on Blaine’s chest and was out like a light.

“Goodnight, love,” Blaine whispered back.

_Thank heavens we’re having Sam and Mercedes over tomorrow. Mercedes will keep Kurt from working too hard._


	134. The Easy Way Out

# Chapter 134: The Easy Way Out

“ _Maybe, sometimes, it's easier to be mad at the people you trust because you know they'll always love you, no matter what._ ” ( Ann Brashares, _The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants_ )

Mercedes and Sam did prove just the distraction Kurt needed. They stayed for dinner and talked about their work in LA and afterwards about their upcoming wedding. The date was tentatively fixed as the sixteenth of August, because Mercedes’ dream venue had an opening then, only Mercedes doubted that they could plan the wedding in only seven months.

Blaine was confident that Kurt and Mercedes would be able to organise a wonderful wedding in that many months, and said so.

Mercedes pronounced Blaine overly optimistic, but Kurt backed him up and assured her they’d make it happen.

Kurt thumbed through his wedding scrapbook with Mercedes, going over her preferences with regard to flowers, cake, the catering in general, table decorations, how many bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girls and ring bearers she wanted and what they should wear, never hesitant to share his opinions on what he considered perfect.

Blaine paid close attention.

_Calla lilies, huh? White and purple? Noted. Coconut cake with lemon curd? Sounds interesting, and a delightful alternative for chocolate cake, which is too rich for a summer wedding when it’s likely to be really hot, I agree. And yes, a bow tie can be the very thing that takes an outfit to the next level._

Mercedes and Kurt also discussed the photographer she wanted. “And I’m thinking of asking Artie to film the church ceremony. Do you think he would do that for me?”

“I’ll ask him,” promised Kurt. “I’m seeing Artie tomorrow. I think he’ll be delighted you asked.”

“And I shouldn’t forget to reserve hotel rooms for all of you who’ll be coming all the way from Ohio for our wedding. You and Blaine can stay over at our place, that’s no problem, and we have room for a few more guests, but I can’t have thirty people sleeping in my living room, you know.”

“True,” Kurt agreed, squeezing her hand. “Let’s talk guest list, shall we? How many people are you planning on inviting? And what do you want the invitation to look like?”

By the time Mercedes and Sam left, Kurt wasn’t thinking about his runway show at all anymore, for a change, and was content to stay on the sofa with Blaine for a while longer, reminiscing about all the weddings he’d been to up until now, some of which he’d helped plan, and sketching how his ideal wedding had changed over the years.

Blaine laughed as Kurt described the wedding in the swimming pool a six-year-old Kurt had dreamt up, both grooms wearing a new swimsuit and cool diving goggles with Spiderman on them, with an underwater kiss as the height of romance and an ice-cream cake decorated with M&Ms as the pièce de résistance at the buffet.

“That sounds delicious!” Blaine approved. “Plus, it’s easy to make and everyone likes it. Which M&Ms are your favourites, by the way? The chocolate ones or the peanut ones?”

“Oh, the peanut ones, definitely,” Kurt answered. “I love their crunchiness.”

K&B

On Wednesday, they had Artie over, and Kurt told Artie about his TV series plan. Before Kurt could start about how he wanted to out himself as Mark Easterbrook and organise a crowdfunding project, Blaine, who’d been thinking long and hard about this, offered an alternative, which would put Sebastian and Elliot in the spotlight while keeping Kurt out of it, working his magic behind the scenes.

Kurt, as Blaine had expected, refused to listen at first, but Blaine didn’t back down this time.

_You WILL hear me out! You can tell me what you think of my idea AFTERWARDS._

Kurt seemed rather taken aback at Blaine’s vehemence when telling him to shut up and listen, but obediently shut his mouth and paid attention. Kurt’s eyebrows puckered ominously during Blaine’s explanation, but Blaine soldiered on anyway.

Artie pronounced it a good idea, and Kurt, though he had his doubts, promised to talk it over with Sebastian and Elliot.

Blaine beamed. He might not be able to sway Kurt, but he was sure he could convince Seb and Elliot.

When Artie had left, Kurt worked on the alterations Artie’s outfit needed until it was perfect, and then joined Blaine on the sofa, levelling a piercing look at him.

“You’re very protective,” Kurt mused. “Not wanting me to tell the public I’m Mark Easterbrook. Not wanting me to have an active part in starting up the crowdfunding.”

Blaine fidgeted a little, fiddling with the pencil in his hands.

“I get why you want to shield me from the public eye,” Kurt continued matter-of-factly, “but I can take care of myself, you know. I’ve been famous from a very young age, and I know how to deal with reporters and paparazzi and fans. I don’t particularly like it, but I can handle it. My name being associated with my books and the media storm that is likely to follow that announcement won’t make me have a nervous breakdown. I’m made of stronger stuff than that.”

“I know,” Blaine whispered, “but I don’t want you to have to deal with it. There’s no need. We can work around it, and you’ll still get your TV series, made exactly to your specifications.”

Kurt sighed. “Yes. Yes, I can take the easy way out and let Seb and Elliot do all the work. And they would, too, if I asked them to. Only it wouldn’t sit right with me. I’d feel like a coward.”

Blaine’s head snapped up. “Kurt! Don’t think of it like that… You’re just a private person. There’s nothing cowardly about that.”

Kurt just shook his head, dismissing what Blaine said, his jaw set and his expression mulish. “Let’s go to bed. I’m tired, and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

Blaine, his stomach churning uncomfortably, let himself be led to the bathroom. An hour later, Kurt was sleeping soundly next to Blaine, but Blaine lay awake, staring at the ceiling.

_I never meant to make Kurt feel inadequate… I just thought it would be easier and a lot more pleasant for him to work behind the scenes. I guess I was wrong. I never thought he’d feel that way, and now I feel horrible for having suggested my plan. How can I make this right?_

Blaine sighed and turned onto his left side. Another train of thought popped up in his head.

_I wonder how Sebastian will react to seeing his mother again after all those years. At best, it will be awkward. At worst, there will be raised voices and tears and doors slamming when Sebastian walks out. In any scenario, I will feel very overcomplete tomorrow, and so will Elliot and Kurt, I guess. Maybe not Kurt, since he’s the one who wanted this reunion. I don’t know if he quite realises how hard it will be for Sebastian. Seb’s emotions will be all over the place. It runs deeply with him, this feeling of abandonment. Of not being good enough. I can relate. Ah well, we’ll see how it goes… I’m here if he wants to rant or if he needs a shoulder to cry on after. No judgment. Not from me._


	135. Alterations

# Chapter 135: Alterations

“ _What's all this love of arguing? No one ever convinces anyone else._ ” (Leo Tolstoy, _Anna Karenina_ )

Kurt worked on autopilot to shorten Artie’s shirt and jacket sleeves, while mulling over Blaine’s idea in silence. It was brilliant, yes. Perfect for Kurt to keep a low profile. But was it fair to expect Sebastian and Elliot to carry the weight of what essentially was Kurt’s dream?

Oh, they wouldn’t mind. Kurt was sure of that. Elliot was easy-going and helpful, and always up for a new challenge. And Sebastian, well, he would move mountains for Kurt. Case in point: Seb had agreed to have dinner with his mother while he was in Ohio, just because Kurt wanted him to.

_Am I being too pushy about this? Blaine seems to think I should have let Seb alone and let him reconcile with his mother at his own pace. Huh… If I leave it up to Seb, he’ll just stubbornly ignore his mom until she dies. And then I’m sure he’d regret not having reached out to her, when it’s too late. Well, not on my watch! They’ll meet in neutral circumstances here, and I know one meeting won’t fix all that’s broken between them, but it’s a start. I’ll back off after that and let Seb decide for himself if he wants to see his mother again._

Kurt suppressed a sigh and continued working until he was satisfied with the alterations he’d made, and then went to sit by Blaine, who was sketching.

Blaine looked up with a warm smile, but Kurt wasn’t really in the mood for cuddling and kisses. He had something to get of his chest. So he did, emphasizing that he didn’t need Blaine to shield him, and that leaving the promotion of his TV series idea to Seb and Elliot would make him feel guilty and lazy and spineless.

Blaine visibly started, his eyes huge and panicky, and told Kurt that there was no need to beat himself up like that. That it would just be the decision that suited Kurt and Kurt’s personality best.

_Yes, I’m an introvert. I know. I will never be able to deal with fans the way Elliot does, or Seb, or even Blaine at his book signings. But I do okay. I manage. I’m sure I can do this. I want to play an active part in this endeavour. After all, it’s MY pet project._

Out loud, Kurt remarked that it was bed time, hooked his arm through Blaine’s and steered them towards the bathroom.

Blaine continued to look shaken and worried, probably second-guessing his plan now and rueing the fact that he made Kurt feel bad.

_Blaine’s very sensitive, isn’t he? He just can’t stand anyone being angry with him or disappointed in him. He’s such a people-pleaser. Thank heavens BLAINE’s not the one who’s famous. I’ve learnt fast enough that there’s no way of pleasing everyone. There will always be haters, and all you can do is grow elephant skin so as not to let the negativity get to you. I’m not sure Blaine would be capable of that. The paparazzi and the fans would probably send him into a nervous breakdown or depression within months. Of course, if I were to frontline this TV series project, Blaine would be in the public eye as well, since we come as a package deal these days. So maybe that wouldn’t be the best idea. I’d hate for him to suffer the consequences of my fame. Well, I’ll talk it over with Seb and Elliot tomorrow. Maybe together we can work out a solution that everyone is happy with._

K & B

Thursday morning, before he started working on the online orders he’d received, Kurt pressed the ringbearer suits he’d set aside for Tina’s sons to wear. He’d bought a new and improved steam iron for his new shop, and he was pleasantly surprised to find that it took less effort to get an impeccable result.

Tina would be dropping in after school that afternoon for Michael Junior and Henry to try on the suits. Tina, who was quite the seamstress herself, had given Kurt very detailed measurements for both of her children, so Kurt didn’t think many alterations would be necessary.

Tina’s husband Mike wouldn’t be taking part in the runway show. He’d allowed Brittany the day off on Friday, but Mike himself was fully booked for private and group dance lessons all day and all evening.

When Tina had explained this on the phone, she had sighed that it was a pity she wouldn’t get to see her hubby wear one of Kurt’s fabulous suits. That had made Kurt laugh. “He still has his wedding outfit, hasn’t he? That’s a Hummingbird design, so make him dress up in that if you want to see him stylishly dressed!”

“I know, I know,” Tina had acknowledged, “but in the meantime, your designs have evolved and matured so much. Ah well, there’s always next time… Try and make it a Monday next year, will you? Mike doesn’t have too many dance lessons on Monday, so that would work out a lot better.”

Kurt had promised he’d think about it, and had rung off with his mind full of ideas as to what he could wow the public with next year. Maybe a Halloween-themed runway show? A Valentine-themed one?

Kurt had asked Tina if she wanted to be part of the show, modelling her wedding dress, but Tina hadn’t wanted to. “I’m sorry, Kurt, but there’s no way that dress would fit me anymore. It’s crazy how much weight I’ve gained since I got married and had the children. Twenty pounds at least. I’m always eating Mikey’s and Henry’s leftovers on top of my own portion. I probably should stop doing that, but I hate throwing food away, and they’re such picky eaters. Just like their dad.”

Kurt had told Tina he’d inserted some side panels into Rachel’s dress and would be willing to do that for Tina as well, but Tina had been convinced her dress would need a more drastic overhaul than that to be wearable again, so Kurt had dropped the subject. With Rachel and Santana and Brittany, he’d have three brides to show off on the runway, and all three of them had different body types. That would have to do.

Kurt had just started cutting leather for three plaited belts when the shop bell clanged. Kurt hurried to the shop and instantly got an armful of Naomi, beaming and perfectly tanned. “Hey Kurt!”

“Naomi! You’re back from your honeymoon! So how’s it been? Wonderful, I guess. You’re positively glowing with happiness!”

“It was wonderful,” Naomi sighed blissfully. “I love being married to Greg, though it still feels weird to call him my husband. That sounds so grown-up, you know.”

Kurt giggled. “I can imagine…”

“And then, when we got home, there were a few surprises in store for us. Someone - you wouldn’t have any idea who, do you? - hid about a million jingle bells all over our house. There was one on our door, and that was cute. Christmassy. Festive. Then we went inside and pulled up the blinds, and there were bells on the cords, too. Next, we opened the fridge and the kitchen cabinets to take stock of what groceries we’d be needing, and… You’ve guessed it, we heard jingle bells that time around as well. Even when we sat down on the sofa, we heard a muffled bell sound, and when we went to sleep, we found out lots of bells had been stuffed under our mattress. Greg got rather cross at that point. He was dead on his feet and just wanted to sleep, poor guy.”

Kurt tried to keep a straight face, but it was no use. The imagery of what Naomi depicted, coupled with the faces she was pulling as she told the story, sent Kurt into a laughing fit that took a full five minutes to subside. Naomi laughed along, admitting that it made for quite a funny story, after the facts.

“Anyway… Yesterday we got an interesting invitation in our mailbox. Apparently, you have a fashion show planned?”

Kurt grinned from ear to ear. “Yes, to celebrate me moving my shop to Westerville. I see you found my new shop all right.”

“I did! I knew this was your shop as soon as I turned around the corner. It’s so you: stylish and classy and just the tiniest bit whimsical. I love it. All the details in the shop window. And this building is just so beautiful, with its antique windows and floors and ceilings.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Kurt agreed. “Want the full tour?”

Kurt showed Naomi around, and they chatted about her and Greg, about him and Blaine, and then about the runway show.

“Do you have any brides modelling their dresses?” Naomi wanted to know.

“Yes, three friends of mine,” Kurt answered. “You know them: Rachel, Brittany and Santana.”

“If you’d like me to, I’d be willing to model both of my dresses as well, you know,” Naomi offered. “And my pretty jacket.”

Kurt smiled and nodded. “I think we can squeeze you in. It would be a pity to leave those dresses in the closet for the rest of your life!”

“Oh, they won’t be,” Naomi assured him with a twinkle in her eye. “I’m going to use my wedding dress to go to galas and weddings, and my going away dress for parties and such. That’s a definite advantage of a coloured wedding dress.”

“True,” Kurt agreed, and from there the conversation went to Adrienne and her mother, and how Barbara Keller had had to bow to women with superior taste and allow her daughter to wear a coloured dress to her wedding.

“Just so you know,” Naomi told Kurt, “Adrienne is already bragging non-stop to her sorority sisters about how this very exclusive up-and-coming designer is making her a wedding dress, and how it’s going to be the most fabulous creation they’ve ever beheld, so she’s setting the bar pretty high. And many of her friends are so curious now to see your designs that they’re coming to your show tomorrow. They’re pretty sceptical, though. That’s why I thought I’d offer to model my dresses for you. Both of them are masterpieces, and deserve to be seen and admired.”

“Awww,” cooed Kurt, his hand over his heart. “Thank you so much! That means a lot to me. And I’m glad to have you on board. Could you be at the hotel by four thirty PM tomorrow? All the models will be there by then to practise walking on the runway. My friend Artie suggested they dance and twirl a bit to mask their inexperience as models, seeing as we were all in a glee club once and know how to dance, but I wouldn’t expect you to do that.”

Naomi laughed. “Greg has two left feet, but I can dance. I’ll just try and copy what the others are doing, shall I?”

Kurt flashed her a smile. “Yes, please.”


	136. Dinner with Adela

# Chapter 136: Dinner with Adela

“ _The memory was sweet to her, and involuntarily her eye wandered in search of him. He was not far away, sitting just as he used to sit when she soothed his most despondent moods astride of a chair with his head down on his arms, as if the song suggested the attitude. Her heart quite softened to him as she looked […]._ ” (Louisa May Alcott, _Rose In Bloom_ )

Kurt continued working diligently until Blaine came to fetch him after school, to go pick up Seb and Elliot at the airport.

When their friends appeared in the arrival lounge, wearing identical beaming smiles and making a beeline for Blaine and Kurt, Kurt was pleased to note that Seb looked happy and full of energy. Yes, he obviously still had issues to work through, but being with Elliot and having a new project to focus on had worked wonders.

Kurt hugged Seb and Elliot tightly and thanked them for coming.

“As if I’d miss your show,” Seb scoffed. “I can’t wait to see your designs for real, and to wear them.”

“Me too,” Elliot nodded, “though you know I will notice imperfections if there are any.”

“There aren’t,” Kurt said confidently.

“Huh, that’s what you said about mistakes in your latest book, but I did find some,” Blaine quipped, and they all laughed, Kurt a little sourly.

Seb put his arm over Kurt’s shoulder and pulled him close. “So do we get to see your new shop, or is there no time for that before dinner?”

“Oh sure, I’d be happy to show you around,” Kurt answered, his good humour instantly restored.

They drove back to Westerville, chatting a mile a minute about all that had happened since they had last seen each other.

As Seb had asked, they stopped at the shop first, and Kurt proudly showed his friends what he’d done with the place. Both were suitably impressed, and Kurt saw Elliot eyeing one of the hats displayed in the shop window with undisguised interest.

“Want to try it on?” Kurt offered, and Elliot flashed him a smile and put the hat on top of his head jauntily.

“It suits you,” was Blaine’s opinion, and Seb nodded. “I like it.”

“I had other accessories in mind for your outfit, Elliot, but now that I think about it, the hat could work. I’m taking it home with me, so you can pair it with the tux you’re modelling tomorrow.”

They left the shop and went to Blaine’s apartment on foot. As soon as they arrived, Blaine and Kurt gathered all the ingredients they needed for the bouillabaisse and set to work. Kurt gave Seb and Elliot each a peeler, too, and let them help with all the vegetables.

“How else will you learn?” Kurt asked reasonably when Seb grumbled, and offered him and the others some gruyere breadsticks to tide them over until dinner.

At a quarter to seven, Kurt and Blaine set the table, and Kurt gave Seb a stack of napkins and instructed him to fold them into origami art to decorate the plates. Seb rolled his eyes, but when he saw that Elliot looked interested, he was quick to make some masterpieces: a [rose](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbeLumQf9hw) in [two](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51MGEFF3p-E) different ways, a [bird of paradise](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-6yS2hSSDY), a [swan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixw6XwYFO7A) and a [butterfly](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jtiuGWWW7s).

Just when the oven timer dinged to signal that the French bread was ready, the intercom buzzed, and Blaine went to answer it and let Mrs Smythe in.

Kurt checked his watch. Seven o’clock precisely. Mrs Smythe proved very punctual - not that he was surprised. He shot a quick glance at Seb, whose face had gone pale and expressionless. Elliot was squeezing Seb’s shoulder sympathetically.

“Seb,” Kurt whispered, “Whatever you’re feeling right now, be polite, okay? And try and give her the benefit of the doubt.”

Seb nodded jerkily and sat up straight in his chair, looking towards the front door.

They heard a smart rap on the door, and Blaine was quick to open it, welcome Mrs Smythe and help her out of her coat.

Mrs Smythe shook his hand and smiled. “Good evening. It’s nice to see you again, and thank you so much for inviting me.”

She looked around and nodded approvingly. “You have a lovely apartment.”

Kurt came to greet her as well, and she beamed, handing him a beautiful dark red poinsettia. “Kurt! So good to see you again, and this is for you! Thank you for having me over for dinner tonight. Something smells absolutely divine in here, and I can’t wait…”

At this point, Mrs Smythe caught sight of her son, and her voice trailed off. She clapped a hand over her mouth, and her eyes filled with tears. “ _Sébastien_ …”

Seb stood up from his chair and greeted her a bit stiffly. “ _Maman_.”

Kurt steered Mrs Smythe towards the chair right opposite Sebastian. “If you would sit here, please, Mrs Smythe? Dinner’s ready, I’ll bring it out immediately.”

Mrs Smythe sat down on her assigned chair, protesting mildly that they should call her Adela.

Kurt went to fetch the bouillabaisse and the rouille while Blaine cut the French bread into pieces and put them into a basket.

Kurt set the pot of bouillabaisse onto the table and encouraged everyone to serve themselves. Elliot beamed and accepted the ladle with enthusiasm, filling his deep plate and then Seb’s, before reaching for the bread basket and taking a piece for himself and one for Seb.

Seb didn’t seem to have noticed the food. His eyes were riveted on his mother, who had picked up the red paper rose on her plate and was examining it and whispering, a wistful smile on her face, “I remember these. Sebastian learned how to make them for Mother’s Day one year, and after that he always used to make me one for Sunday dinner. I made him set the table, you see, and he’d fold the napkins, and mine was always a rose. I kept them all. I stored them in a hat box. I still have them.”

Seb’s eyebrows shot up. “You do?”

Adela nodded. “I don’t have much else to remember you by. After you were taken away, Andrew trashed your room in a fit of pique and ruined all our photo albums, ripping apart all the pictures.”

Seb went even paler at that revelation. Adela noticed and teared up again. “Sorry…”

“Why didn’t you stop him?” Seb inquired.

There was silence for a moment, and then Adela swallowed convulsively. “He’d taken a hand to me first. I wasn’t really capable of stopping him. I was barely aware of what happened. I woke up to havoc.”

Blaine paused with the ladle halfway between the pot and his plate, his face horror-struck, no doubt reliving how he’d been beaten up himself. Kurt quickly took Blaine’s plate and held it under the ladle before the soup could stain the table-cloth, and took the ladle from Blaine’s hand. He served Blaine as well as Adela and himself, and held out the bread basket for Blaine and Adela to take a piece.

“Well, _bon appétit_!” Kurt said cheerfully. “Enjoy your dinner, everyone, and help yourself to more. There’s plenty of bouillabaisse and bread.”

There was no more heavy conversation after that, but Seb seemed to have relaxed marginally. He finished his plate and had seconds, chiming in occasionally while Elliot asked question after question about the runway show.

Adela told Kurt she’d heard about the show from Susan and was fully intending to come. “I’m very much looking forward to seeing more of your designs.”

That proved to be Elliot’s cue to wheedle Kurt into letting him try on his outfit. “And I want a preview of Bas in his outfit as well!”

Kurt looked around and saw that everyone had finished eating. “Okay. You guys clear the table, I’ll go fetch the outfits.”

Kurt was back quickly, and ushered Elliot into the bathroom to change, and Seb into the bedroom. Five minutes later, Elliot came out, dressed in a [gorgeous patterned silver-grey jacket](http://cdn01.cdn.justjared.com/wp-content/uploads/headlines/2013/08/adam-lambert-mtv-vmas-2013-red-carpet.jpg) with lapels in a darker grey, which matched the pants. Seb followed, wearing a [green tuxedo jacket](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/da/f6/93/daf6935d6abd068be90b6171607c3b02.jpg), also with darker lapels, and black pants. Both looked stunning, and Kurt was pleased to note that hardly any alterations would be necessary.

Adela exclaimed over both outfits, and reiterated that she was very much looking forward to the show. “Even more now that I’ve seen first-hand what you can do.”


	137. Flashback

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for a flashback to the Sadie Hawkins attack. If you don't want to read it, skip the bolded part of the chapter please.

# Chapter 137: Flashback

“ _You shall not leave me in that temper._

 _I should be miserable all night, and I won’t be miserable for you!_ ”

(Emily Brontë, _Wuthering Heights_ )

Blaine slept fitfully, and for once, he didn’t wake before his alarm clock went off. Kurt had to gently shake him awake, and Blaine was relieved to find he woke up to Kurt smiling at him. Had Kurt forgotten about Blaine’s misstep?

Blaine shook his head to clear it of fogginess and unwelcome thoughts. If Kurt had moved on from this, so could Blaine. Asking Kurt if he was still angry with Blaine was childish.

Blaine moved through his day sluggishly, only perking up when school was out and it was time to go fetch Sebastian and Elliot at the airport.

Seb and Elliot walked towards them with open arms, seeming just as thrilled to see Blaine as they were to see Kurt, which warmed Blaine’s heart. The bear hugs they gave Blaine made him feel better, too, enough so to make a joke at Kurt’s expense. Kurt’s laugh was rather forced, and Blaine mentally chastised himself.

_Bad move, Anderson!_

Seb saved the day by asking Kurt to show him and Elliot the new shop. That got Kurt to smile again, and together, they walked to Blaine’s car to drive back to Westerville, chatting happily and catching up with each other.

Seb and Elliot liked the shop, and Blaine could see Elliot examine all the accessories Kurt had displayed with a professional eye, and nod approvingly. He even picked out a hat to wear with the outfit he’d be modelling.

When they got back to the apartment, they started on dinner straightaway, Kurt roping Sebastian and Elliot into helping out, while interrogating Seb on what he’d been eating while left to his own devices.

Seb sulked at being relegated to vegetable peeler, but obediently helped out, and though he bristled a little at Kurt’s assumption that he couldn’t take care of himself, he listed the meals he’d eaten in the past few weeks for Kurt’s benefit. Apparently, he’d been eating out a lot, but he’d made sure to eat vegetables and fruit wherever he dined. And last weekend, Seb and Elliot had attempted to make spaghetti together, and though the pasta had been overcooked and the sauce had burnt a little at the bottom because they set the stove burner too high, it had been edible, and they were both tremendously proud.

Kurt was quick to praise them and regale them with a few choice kitchen disaster stories of his own, and Blaine chimed in as well, thinking back to his first attempts at making himself dinner and shuddering. Yes, cooking was definitely trial and error at first.

Sebastian complained that all this cooking talk was making him hungry, and Kurt rolled his eyes, but opened the tin containing his home-made breadsticks and let them all have a few.

Mrs Smythe arrived at seven PM on the dot. Blaine wondered how long she’d been standing in front of his apartment building, waiting and pacing to and fro, and exactly how nervous she was at the thought of seeing her son again.

Seb certainly was worked up. He’d gone pale as a sheet, and one of the napkins he was supposed to be folding was being methodically shredded to pieces by his feverishly working fingers. Elliot noticed how upset Seb looked, and moved to stand behind him and massaged his shoulders. That seemed to help a little.

Kurt implored Seb to behave himself while Mrs Smythe was with them, and Seb nodded stiffly, his poker face on.

Blaine let Mrs Smythe in, who thanked him for the invitation and praised his apartment. Then she turned to Kurt and handed him a pot of flowers, while continuing her polite chitchat until she caught sight of her son. She fell silent then, and after a long pause, she whispered hoarsely “ _Sébastien_ …”

Seb, his back ramrod straight, acknowledged her with a curt “ _Maman_ ”.

Kurt made Mrs Smythe sit right opposite Sebastian and then went to the kitchen to fetch the bouillabaisse.

Mrs Smythe sat down and asked them to stop being so formal and call her Adela, please.

Blaine nodded and took his big bread knife to cut up the French bread.

Kurt didn’t serve everyone a portion of bouillabaisse. He just put the pot on the table and told everyone to take as much as they wanted.

Elliot took the ladle first, serving not only himself but Seb, too.

_Oh… Oh! We totally forgot to introduce Elliot to Seb’s mom and vice versa!_

Blaine cleared his throat and was just about to rectify that mistake when Adela spoke up, the paper rose on her plate prompting her to take a trip down memory lane. Apparently, Seb had made her paper roses before, and she’d kept them all.

_That’s nice… And Seb seems pleasantly surprised. Well, I’ll introduce Elliot later, I’m first going to help myself to bouillabaisse._

He listened to Adela as she told her son those paper roses were the only mementoes she had of him, her husband having destroyed everything else.

_Ugh… I remember when I came out to my parents and my brother, and my father had a fit, blaming my obsession with musicals and bowties, and rushed upstairs to rip all my posters off the walls of my room. Thankfully, he never found my bow ties. He threw half of the contents of my closet onto the floor looking for them, but I didn’t keep my bow ties there. I had to be so careful after that, and remember never to do or say or wear anything that could be perceived as gay._

And then Blaine was distracted from that train of thought by Seb, his voice thick with emotion, asking why Adela hadn’t stopped her husband from ruining all his childhood belongings, and Adela tearfully confessing that she hadn’t been able to because she had been beaten up so severely that she was unconscious at the time.

Blaine froze, knowing all too well what that felt like.

**_Wham! A baseball bat hit Blaine’s nose, which made a horrible splintery sound and started to bleed profusely._ **

**_Wham! Another bat hit his temple, making his head collide with the wall behind him, hard._ **

**_“Take that, faggot! Rubbing your queerness into our faces like that, how dare you?”_ **

**_Blaine curled up into a ball, making himself as small as he possibly could, while bats and feet were hitting and kicking him wherever they could. One of his ribs snapped under the onslaught, and a few kicks later, his shoulder followed suit._ **

**_“We don’t want you to infect us with your gay! Your kind is better -umpf - off -umpf - DEAD!”_ **

**_*Crack* His head exploded with pain, and through a haze of red he spiralled into unconsciousness._ **

Blaine had woken up in hospital, and for a moment he’d wished he could go right back to the blissful oblivion his coma had provided, because that was preferable to the pain he felt. His whole body hurt, head to toe, and he couldn’t imagine ever getting up from his bed again. Not when just breathing in and out made his muscles scream in agony.

Blaine had never gone back to that school, not even for one day. His parents had enrolled him at Dalton straightaway, and after a long hospital stay and a strenuous rehabilitation programme, he started boarding there. His dreams were still haunted by the Sadie Hawkins incident, though, and his parents, woken up by Blaine’s screaming once too often during weekends, sent Blaine to a therapist and encouraged him to stay at Dalton over the weekend.

Over the years, the memories had faded, but they were still there in the back of his head, in the twinge in his shoulder and ribs whenever it was about to rain and in his panicked reaction every time someone approached him from behind.

Blaine suppressed a sigh, and suddenly realised he was standing there like a pillar. He had been about to ladle soup onto his plate, but somehow, the ladle was gone, his plate was filled and everyone was either eating or chatting animatedly.

Blaine sat down rather heavily and mechanically put spoon after spoon of the bouillabaisse into his mouth, swallowing without really tasting it, and taking a bite of bread every now and then. It took about ten minutes for Blaine to tune into the conversation again. They were discussing Elliot’s rise to fame. Adela had clearly never watched American Idol and listened with wide eyes when Elliot told her all about his participation, ending up as the runner-up and bringing out an album, after which he’d started touring.

“And Sebastian is going on tour with you?” Adela asked, and Elliot beamed and nodded, telling her that Seb’s songs were amazing.

After that, the topic shifted to Kurt’s runway show, and Elliot wanted to know absolutely all about it, and then insisted on seeing his outfit and trying it on. “You sent Bas pictures of what he’s going to wear tomorrow, but you didn’t send a photo to me, though you promised you would! My curiosity’s been eating at me for days!”

Kurt looked a bit contrite that he’d forgotten, and decided to give in to Elliot, walking towards the bedroom and looking back over his shoulder to order them to clear the table.

Kurt sent Elliot and Seb to change into their outfits, and Blaine’s mouth fell open when he saw them in their finery. As always, Kurt’s eye for fabric, cut and colour had paid off, and Seb and Elliot were both wearing tuxes that brought out all their best features.

_Wow… They always look handsome, but now they truly are super models. Gorgeous!_

Adela enjoyed the preview of the show as well, complimenting Kurt and telling him she was even more excited to see the show now. She left soon after that, hugging Kurt, Blaine and Elliot and then approaching Seb with open arms and a tentative but hopeful expression, but when Seb just stood there stiffly and made no sign of wanting to hug her, her face crumpled and she nodded, backing away quickly.

Blaine’s heart ached for her, but he also understood Seb, and realised how much of an effort he’d made already in reaching out to her and talking with her. Seb would thaw out, Blaine was sure of it. But that took longer than just one evening.

Kurt’s eyes reflected Adela’s hurt, which he seemed to feel keenly, but as quick as he usually was to speak up, Kurt didn’t say a word after Adela had gone.

They did the dishes together and then Seb and Elliot took their leave as well. They were staying at the hotel where the runway show was to take place, so that was handy.

After they had left, Kurt let out a sigh that seemed to come straight from his toes, and then told Blaine he was tired and wanted to go to bed. Blaine yawned hugely and agreed.

A while later, when they were in bed and Blaine was sure Kurt had already fallen asleep, a timid voice roused Blaine from his half-slumber. “Did I do wrong to force Seb to see his mom?”

Blaine turned to face Kurt. “No, love, you didn’t. It’s good that they got to talk.”

“But he didn’t hug her!” Kurt wailed plaintively.

“Baby steps, love,” Blaine replied. “You can’t expect everything at once. I’m sure that will come in time. He won’t stay away from her now. They’ll grow closer again. But you have to give it time.”

“You think so?” Kurt asked.

“I think so. Night, love.”

“Sweet dreams, honey. I love you.”

“Love you too.”


	138. Pre-Runway Jitters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm posting this chapter late... AO3 wouldn't load on my computer!

# Chapter 138: Pre-Runway Jitters

“ _Believe you can and you're halfway there._ ” (Theodore Roosevelt)

Again, Blaine slept far from well, and he woke up with a raging headache and a temper to boot. Kurt, too, had bags under his eyes and was grumpy and snappy. Apparently, Blaine had kept him awake half of the night, tossing and turning, mumbling and whimpering and once screaming out loud, and when Kurt had pulled Blaine into his arms to comfort him, Blaine had completely panicked and his arms had flailed wildly, hitting Kurt in the eye and on the chin, hard.

Blaine apologised, shamefaced, and drooped off to school without asking for his usual parting kiss. The children, feeling that something was off, were unnaturally subdued the whole day, and somehow that made Blaine even more irritable, barking at Tina to leave him alone when she asked him what the matter was at lunch time.

After school, he went home to shower and change and to prep the lamb tajine, leaving it to simmer on the stove while he headed to the hotel with Kurt’s outfit and his own. There, he found Kurt and Artie hurrying to and fro and doling out instructions. Blaine greeted the other models, a bit surprised to see Naomi among them, and kissed Kurt, asking him where he should leave Kurt’s suit.

Kurt, who seemed in a much better mood now, beamed at Blaine and told him he’d put it on straightaway, and Blaine should do the same. In the dressing room, Kurt told Blaine that everything was coming along nicely, and apologised for being so short-tempered that morning. Blaine shrugged that off, saying that he hadn’t been in a better humour than Kurt, but that he had missed his parting kiss.

“That will never happen again,” Kurt swore, and sealed the promise with a lingering kiss.

“See? I told you!” crowed Seb, barging into the room without paying any attention to Kurt and Blaine’s current state of undress, closely followed by Elliot. “I knew they’d be fooling around somewhere.”

Kurt straightened up. Even when just wearing an undershirt and trousers, he conveyed so much poise and authority that Seb visibly cowered. “Sebastian André Smythe! Knock before entering a room, will you? And we were just kissing, not that I owe you any explanation.”

Sebastian scoffed. “Doesn’t look like just kissing to me. Nice boxers, Blaine. And you fill them out nicely too.”

The look Kurt threw Seb then could have incinerated him in two seconds flat. “Out! NOW! No ogling my boyfriend! No innuendoes! Behave yourself! Elliot, take him AWAY from here!”

“I was just paying Blaine a compliment!” Seb protested his innocence, merriment dancing in his eyes, but Elliot was already tugging him out of the room, laughing uproariously.

Blaine was helpless with laughter himself. It took him a full five minutes to calm down enough to continue dressing.

“Be thankful Seb didn’t mention foursomes this time,” Blaine choked out between guffaws, and Kurt’s lips twitched, and then he threw back his head and laughed too.

“You do fill them out nicely,” Kurt acknowledged as soon as he’d caught his breath. “Any chance of me getting another private show tonight?”

Blaine bit his lip doubtfully. “The Hudmels will be there for dinner, you know, and so will Seb and Elliot. Our friends probably stay for quite some time, and only leave when we’re all close to falling asleep. Maybe tomorrow, love.”

Kurt grinned. “I’ll hold you to that.”

Then his eyes went wide with shock. “They’re coming for dinner, all of them! And the lamb tajine I was going to make takes hours to prepare.”

Blaine smiled. “I knew you’d forget, so I took care of it. The lamb tajine is on the stove. I’ll go check on it in a little while. I’ll make sure to be back in time for the show.”

Kurt kissed him gratefully. “You’re amazing. Thank you. Now let’s get dressed before someone else comes in and thinks we were having sex. With my luck, it would be my dad next time.”

When they got back to the big ballroom, Kurt was immediately called upon by Tina, one of whose sons had vomited all over his beautiful suit. “I’m so sorry, Kurt. I think Henry has a stomach bug. I’d better take him home, and Mikey too, of course. I’m really really sorry about this.”

Mikey protested loudly when his mother mentioned he’d be going home, too. “I don’t wanna go home.”

Rachel, who had commandeered a few towels from the hotel staff and had wet one and handed it to Tina to clean Henry’s face and the suit as best she could, told Tina that she and Finn could take Michael Junior home if necessary. “Just put his booster seat in Finn’s car. There’s enough room.”

Tina looked torn. “Mikey? You want to stay here with Sarah and Toby and walk in the show?”

Mikey beamed. “Yes. Please, Mom?”

Tina looked at Kurt. “Is that okay with you? I know Rachel and Finn and the kids were going to have dinner at your place?”

“Actually, Blaine’s place,” Kurt corrected her, “but yes. It’s no problem at all. There will be more than enough food for everyone.”

“Absolutely,” Blaine nodded. “Go take care of your boy. We’ll look after Mikey for you.”

Tina nodded, thanked them all and picked up Henry. “Let’s go home, sweetie.”

Finn went with Tina to transfer Mikey’s booster seat to his car.

Shortly after Tina, Blaine left too, to go check on the lamb tajine, and when he got back, the ballroom was teeming with people. With a few ‘excuse me’s’, Blaine managed to slip through the crowd and find Kurt, who was overjoyed that so many invitees had shown up, but nervous beyond belief.

“I hope they’ll like the show,” Kurt whispered, wringing his hands feverishly. “And I hope they’ll like my designs. Aaaargh! Any minute now I have to go out there and give a welcome speech, and I’m so nervous I’m going to puke or clam up completely.”

Blaine steered Kurt to a chair, let him sit down on it sideways and started massaging Kurt’s neck and shoulders. “Listen to me, love. All these people are here because they’ve bought or seen or heard of your designs. They’re going to love the show, they’ll be super impressed by your designs and they’ll flood you with orders. I’m sure of it. This is some of your best work, and you’ve given it the perfect platform to shine. You even have an internationally renowned model and a famous rock star modelling your designs. So pull yourself together now, and greet your guests with confidence and with pride. All right?”

Kurt nodded. “Okay. Thanks for the pep talk.”

“Anytime,” Blaine grinned, rubbing his nose against Kurt’s in a bunny kiss.

“Kurt!” Artie hissed. “You’re up in two minutes!”

Kurt went pale again, and Blaine pulled him close and hugged him tightly until the waiting time was up. Then Blaine gently pushed Kurt towards the platform. “You can do this! Courage!”


	139. Runway Day

# Chapter 139: Runway Day

_“Try, reach, want, and you may fall. But even if you do, you might be okay anyway._

_If you don't try, you save nothing, because you might as well be dead.”_ (Ann Brashares, _Girls In Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood_ )

Adela didn’t stay for long after she’d seen and admired Seb and Elliot’s outfits. She thanked Blaine and Kurt for their hospitality and gave them both a grateful hug. Elliot, when he saw Adela taking her leave of them that way, opened his arms for her with a huge smile on his face, and Adela beamed back and hugged him too.

Elliot’s easy acceptance of her seemed to have buoyed up Adela’s confidence, and she stepped towards her son clearly asking for a hug from him as well. She faltered, though, when Seb didn’t move and just stared at her stony-faced, and Kurt felt his heart break for her.

_Have I done more harm than good in trying to reunite them?_

Kurt didn’t say anything to Seb after Adela had left, and let the others keep the conversation going without adding much to it. When Seb and Elliot confessed themselves tired and went back to their hotel, Kurt’s breath left his mouth in a loud woosh as soon as the door closed behind them, and Kurt felt his tense shoulders loosen a little.

_Time for bed, I think… It’s no use staying up worrying about Seb and his mom._

Blaine didn’t need much prompting to put on his pyjamas and get into bed. He was obviously exhausted as well, so Kurt didn’t want to keep him up talking things over.

Kurt lay still in bed and tried his hardest to fall asleep, but however hard he tried, his mind kept conjuring up Adela’s devastated expression when Seb refused her a hug, and his heart squeezed in second-hand agony.

After a while, he couldn’t hold it in any longer and turned towards Blaine to ask him if it had been wrong to invite Adela.

Blaine, his voice a little sleep-rough already but his tone soothing, assured Kurt that it had been a good idea. When Kurt complained that Seb hadn’t wanted to hug his mother, though, Blaine explained patiently that it would take more time, but that he was sure they would get there.

That was balm for Kurt’s troubled soul, and he settled back into his favourite sleeping position, feeling a lot happier now.

However, restful sleep seemed out of the question that night. Kurt was woken up again and again by Blaine, who was plagued by nightmares and kept trashing about, sobbing and begging and trembling. Kurt wanted to wake Blaine up and hold him tight, but as soon as he touched Blaine with a careful hand, his boyfriend started violently and threw his arms around to defend himself, one fist going straight into Kurt’s eye and the other hitting his chin. Kurt refrained from touching Blaine after that, and just observed him quietly and with a heavy heart.

At long last, Blaine quieted, curling up into a fetal position, his tense expression smoothing out. Clearly, his bad dream was over.

Kurt sighed.

_I need to sleep. It’s runway day tomorrow and it’s already 3 AM._

Kurt turned onto his side and tried to rid his mind of all thoughts, but that was easier said than done. He must have dozed off again anyway, because the next thing he knew, the loud ring of Blaine’s alarm clock was waking him up.

Kurt groaned, but got up, knowing that there was lots of work to be done still, and wanting to get it done as soon as possible.

He couldn’t help but snap at Blaine, though, when he dawdled to long in front of the mirror, doing his hair, and then again when he blocked Kurt’s way to the coffee pot in the kitchen, and when Blaine complained he hadn’t slept well, Kurt testily replied that he knew, since he’d been kept awake too, and assaulted as well.

Blaine escaped from the apartment way before he usually left for school, looking like a kicked puppy, and Kurt felt awful that he’d taken out his temper on Blaine.

_I’m horrible when I haven’t had a good night’s sleep. I’ll make it up to Blaine later._

Kurt soon forgot about the bad start to his day when he threw himself into his work, making some minor adjustments to the pants of Seb’s suit and getting some orders finished and boxed up before he left for the hotel. All the outfits were already hanging up in the cloakroom there, except Seb’s, Elliot’s, Blaine’s and of course his own, which he had wanted to keep a secret from the others for as long as he could. He took Seb’s tux and Elliot’s along now, and had instructed Blaine to bring along the two other outfits when he came to the hotel after school.

Time flew by as he went through a last rehearsal with Artie, this time thankfully with Seb and Elliot modelling instead of Kurt, and then had lunch with his friends.

Naomi arrived soon after that, with her husband in tow, dressed in his wedding finery, and regaled Kurt with tales of her honeymoon.

Kurt’s friends trickled in one by one. Tina brought her sons and asked rather belligerently whether Kurt and Blaine had had a fight, since Blaine had been in a terrible mood all day. Kurt shook his head and told her Blaine had slept badly, due to nightmares, and Tina’s eyes softened in comprehension.

Puck and Jake arrived too, asking if there was any way they could shower before they put on their fancy suit, and Sebastian took them to his and Elliot’s room.

Sam and Mercedes arrived next, and Sam, without a care as to whom could see him, started stripping off his clothes and putting on the tux he was modelling right there in the ballroom.

“Um, Sam, we do have a changing room over there,” Kurt told him. “Right next to the cloakroom.”

Sam, by now half-dressed again, shrugged. “Oh, don’t worry, dude. When I do runway shows, we have to change clothes in front of each other all the time, and I model underwear, too, you know, so by now, I really don’t care who sees me in my boxers.”

Kurt swallowed. “All… All right, then. I wish I had your confidence.”

Santana and Brittany turned up too, and went to the changing room to put their wedding dresses on. When they came out again, Kurt made them twirl around slowly so that he could check the dresses from all sides, but they looked pristine and perfect and still fit like a glove, so that was one worry down.

The last to arrive were Finn and Rachel with their children, and Rachel marshalled her family to the changing room at once.

Kurt, however glad he was that all his friends had turned up already, and on time, too, frowned when he realised that his boyfriend had yet to show up.

_Where is Blaine? Tina’s been here for ages, and it’s not Blaine’s day to supervise the school yard, so what’s keeping him?_

But just at that moment, Blaine hurried towards him, greeting everyone he knew and giving Kurt a sweet smile and a kiss.

Kurt saw the Hudson-Berry’s walk into the ballroom in their runway outfits, and decided that he and Blaine had better put on their tuxes now, too. While changing clothes, Kurt took the opportunity to apologise to Blaine for chewing him out that morning. Blaine readily forgave him, but said wistfully that he never even got a kiss before he left for school, and Kurt vowed there and then that he would never again let Blaine leave his sight without a kiss to send him on his way.

Of course, that led to a hands-on (lips-on?) demonstration, and of course, that was when Sebastian unceremoniously burst into the room and accused them of having a quicky before the runway.

Kurt exploded then, telling Seb off and throwing him out of the room. Blaine, however, collapsed with laughter, and somehow managed to make Kurt join in, too. The bout of merriment did Kurt a world of good. He did panic momentarily when he realised he’d forgotten all about dinner, but Blaine proved to have saved the day and prepared the dish himself, which was of course why he’d arrived so late.

Kurt, once again in awe at his boyfriend’s thoughtfulness and helpful nature, kissed Blaine, feeling very relieved, and then hurried to put his shirt and jacket on and get back to ballroom.

Disaster had struck in their absence: Tina’s youngest had lost his lunch all over his jacket and pants. Tina apologised profusely, and planned on taking both her sons home, only Mikey didn’t want to go. Rachel came to the rescue and offered to look after Mikey and take him back to Lima after the runway show and dinner at Blaine’s.

Tina asked Kurt if that was okay, and both he and Blaine were quick to reassure her and send her on her way.

Blaine went to his apartment to go check on their dinner, leaving Kurt to welcome the first guests, who all gushed about how good the ballroom looked, and what a lovely idea it was to do a runway show. As soon as the invitees were seated, Kurt corralled all his models into the backstage area. “I don’t want everyone to see your outfits yet. I want them to be surprised!”

Kurt asked the maître d’ to bring the models some light refreshment - “But nothing that will stain their clothes” - and then hurried to Artie, telling him to start the mood lighting and put some music on.

The ballroom filled up gradually, and Kurt was kept busy glad-handing former clients, but also a lot of new faces that were hopefully prospective clients. After running to fetch more chairs twice in ten minutes, it looked like the ballroom would be used to its full capacity after all, and Kurt had a hard time keeping from hyperventilating when he saw the huge crowd that had turned up for his runway show.

_All for me? Let’s hope they’ll like my designs and won’t jeer…_


	140. The Runway Show

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay in posting this chapter... I was rather busy with my other story, Stop Flirting!, yesterday...

# Chapter 140: The Runway Show

“ _When things go wrong, you'll find they usually go on getting worse for some time; but when things once start going right they often go on getting better and better._ ” ( C.S. Lewis, _The Horse and His Boy_ )

Kurt worked himself up into a frenzy of nerves, and only managed to quiet down when Blaine came back and with gentle hands and firm words dispelled Kurt’s fears.

When Artie came to warn Kurt that it was almost time for his opening speech, Kurt went a bit white around the nose again, but Blaine grounded Kurt by holding him in his arms until the last moment and whispering words of encouragement just before Kurt stepped onto the stage.

Artie made Kurt’s entrance spectacular, giving him a loud drum roll and making the stage lights flash brightly.

All the guests looked up and went silent, and Kurt swallowed.

_Okay, you can do this!_

“Welcome, everyone! I’m so thrilled to see so many of you here to share this special moment with me: my very first runway show. I’ve called my label Hummingbird, because I love that bird’s bright colours and vivacity, and I’m always trying to reflect that in my designs. Ideally, the clothes I create should not only fit and feel like a second skin, but also suit the wearer’s personality and make them shine by bringing out their best features. I consider it a success when my clients feel confident and comfortable in the outfit I made for them. My inspiration comes mostly from the people I design for - my designs are always very personal - but you can also detect nature influences in them. I hope you like the selection I’m showing you tonight, and please join me for a drink and a chat afterwards. I’d like to hear your thoughts. And now, without further ado: enjoy the show!”

His audience applauded politely, and Artie gave Kurt a thumbs-up and started the music.

Kurt smiled at Artie and stepped off the stage, standing by the side to watch the show. Artie had chosen to let the professional models, namely Sebastian and Sam, open and close the show. Sam was up first, and a ripple went through the crowd when they saw the blue suit Sam was wearing.

After Sam came Brittany, and Kurt saw one of the women in the crowd mouth “I want that dress!” to her friend, and grinned.

Next came Puck, with plenty of swagger, as was his wont. His tux was black and classic, and yet it showed lots of little details that set it apart.

Santana sailed over the catwalk after Puck, looking drop dead gorgeous, as usual, the dress showcasing her endless legs.

Jake followed her, in a grey suit that did wonders for his shoulders, and Kurt saw Marley beam at him proudly from the audience.

Naomi walked down the catwalk after Jake, in her wedding dress. Halfway, Naomi took off her white shrug to show off the back of the dress, and Kurt heard many ooh’s and aah’s.

Next up were the Hudson-Berry’s, with Tina’s son as well. Toby, Henry and Sarah made all the ladies coo in unison, and Rachel radiated happiness, hanging off Finn’s arm. They looked like the perfect family, and Kurt smiled in satisfaction.

And then Blaine stepped onto the catwalk, strutting his stuff like he’d never done anything else his entire life, his eyes smouldering and his lips curved up into a seductive smirk. Kurt swallowed.

_Ugh… I so want to rip those clothes off of him right now…_

Blaine winked at Kurt when he walked past him on his way back, putting an extra sway in his hips.

_He knows exactly what this is doing to me… Just you wait, Blaine Anderson!_

And Kurt was far from the only one affected. Out of the corner of his eye, Kurt saw a few women fan themselves playfully with their invitation and heard one of them whisper “Hot!”

Kurt struggled not to laugh out loud, and quickly focused on the catwalk again, where Elliot was now seducing the audience by showing of his incredible body and flashing his pearly whites. There was a lot of whispering in the crowd, probably people who’d recognised Elliot.

After Elliot came Naomi again, now in her going-away dress, with the leather jacket on top. Once more, she took the jacket off halfway, and twirled around slowly so that the dress could be seen from all sides.

Then Sebastian appeared, looking every inch the super model, and the murmuring started up again. When Sebastian turned around and walked back, Artie gestured to Kurt to come back onto the stage, so when the models all filed out in quick succession for the finale, Kurt hopped onto the stage, hooking his arms through Brittany’s and Santana’s and beaming as he accepted the enthusiastic applause.

When all the models had returned backstage, Kurt thanked the audience and pointed out that both their DJ for the night, Artie Abrams, and Kurt himself were also dressed head to toe in KEH originals, and announced that it was now time for a celebratory glass of champagne.

As soon as Kurt stepped of the stage, women milled around him, chattering about how they had loved the show, and did he design prom dresses? Sweet sixteen dresses? Outfits for a mother of the bride? Dresses for galas and balls? Christening gowns?

They prattled on excitedly, gesturing and grabbing his arm and all talking at the same time without ever giving Kurt the chance to answer any of their questions. He was saved, however, by Susan Keller, who chided the women for behaving like a gaggle of hens and told them in no uncertain terms to either go away and leave Kurt alone or to approach him respectfully and one by one.

Kurt’s fans melted away then, shamefaced, and left Susan to congratulate Kurt. “That was spectacular, Kurt. I’ve seen Greg’s tux, of course, and those of the groomsmen, but I love how much variety you’ve managed to put into a collection of formal men’s wear.”

A woman next to Susan nodded, and added, “I loved the finer detailing. And your styling was impeccable.”

Susan smiled at her and then introduced Kurt to her and vice versa. “Nina, this is Kurt Hummel. Kurt, this is Nina Garcia.”

Kurt blanched, now recognising Nina from Project Runway. “I’m honoured to meet you, Ms Garcia.”

“Nina, please,” Nina laughed. “Don’t make me feel old by calling me by my last name.”

“Nina,” Kurt repeated obediently.

“I’d like to feature you in Marie Claire someday soon,” Nina mused. “The Valentine’s edition would be perfect. I want that burgundy tux, the electric blue one, the green one at the very end and the pink wedding and going-away dress. Those colours really popped, and they weren’t too much. They worked perfectly for the models wearing them.”

Nina inspected what Kurt was wearing, running a hand over one of the lapels and nodding approvingly. “And we’ll photograph you in this tux. Exquisite.”

“O-okay…” Kurt stammered.

“Call me to discuss the details,” Nina told Kurt, handing him a business card. “Oh, I see Pam is here, too! I must go and say hello! Congratulations again on your runway show, Kurt. Call me!”

Nina turned around and left, and Kurt looked at Susan wide-eyed and speechless.

“Yes, I know her personally,” Susan grinned. “We were in college together. Sorority sisters. But I’m not the one who invited her. I should have thought of that, but I didn’t.”

“You didn’t?” Kurt asked, perplexed. “Then who did?”

“I did,” said a soft voice behind them, and when Kurt turned around, he saw Adela. She smiled at him and added, “Nina was my room-mate in college.”

Kurt gaped at her. “Oh…”

“Nina trusts my judgment,” Adela stated. “I taught her everything about styling when we first met. She wasn’t always as perfectly put together as she is now.”

“No, she wasn’t,” Susan agreed, her eyes twinkling. “Do you remember that sweater she wore for orientation in her freshman year?”

Adela crinkled her nose. “Oh, that thing was hideous! And that ratty handbag of hers… It took me ages to get her to buy a more fashionable one.”

“Anyway, she loved your show, and she’ll be in touch,” Susan said triumphantly. “An article in Marie Claire magazine featuring your designs will really boost business for you.You’ll probably get orders from A-listers.”

“Like me, for instance!” boomed a loud voice, and a handsome man beamed at Kurt and offered his hand to shake, “Cooper Anderson, at your service!”

Kurt shook Cooper’s hand mechanically, his head whirling.

_Could this be Blaine’s brother? Wow, he’s stunning!_

Cooper’s next words confirmed that Kurt’s assumption. “When Mom called to tell me my brother’s boyfriend was organising a posh runway show, and would I come with her seeing as Dad had other obligations, I was so curious. I didn’t even know Blaine HAD a boyfriend.”

“It’s only since November,” Kurt murmured.

“Still, I’m his brother,” Cooper insisted. “He should have told me.”

“I’m sorry,” Kurt mumbled.

Cooper flashed a dazzling smile at Kurt. “Oh, I’m not blaming you! And it’s GREAT to finally meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Kurt answered politely.

“So you’re the reason Blaine didn’t turn up at Thanksgiving, eh? Dad was foaming at the mouth about it. Blaine’s never defied him before.”

Kurt felt the hair on his skin prickle uncomfortably and was just about to apologise again when he felt an arm slide around his waist, and Blaine spoke up. “Well, perhaps Dad shouldn’t have refused to let me bring Kurt, then.”

Cooper’s eyebrows went up. “That’s why you didn’t come?”

“That’s why,” Blaine confirmed, his stance stiff.

“Huh…” Cooper scratched his head. “I wondered what had gotten his back up. You’re usually such a model son. Mom’s always nagging ‘Why can’t you be more like Blaine?’ whenever I start teasing Dad. Which is nonsense, because I’m clearly the better son. Taller, smarter, more good-looking, more talented… I always wonder why they ever went to the trouble of having another son.”

Cooper winked at Kurt, who glared at him. Cooper rolled his eyes and threw his arms out wide. “Oh come on, that was a joke! Don’t be so stuffy, the both of you.”

“Hey now, no arguing with your brother,” a chipper voice said, and there was Blaine’s mother Pam. She beamed at Kurt. “Kurt! Your runway show was amazing!”

Then Pam turned to Blaine. “And you looked wonderful in that red suit, my little bumble-bee.”

“Burgundy,” Kurt corrected under his breath, and Blaine hissed, “Mom! Don’t call me that! I’m not five years old anymore!”

Cooper chuckled, and the sound was echoed by a throatier, deeper voice, which could only belong to Burt, and yes, there he was, Carole’s arm hooked through his. “That was great, kiddo, congratulations!”

“I loved the show,” Carole gushed. “Sarah looked so grown-up in that dress, though. She’s becoming so tall. Takes after Finn, I know, but it struck me so hard tonight how she’s not a little girl anymore.”

“Is this your family, Blaine?” Burt asked, looking at Cooper and Pam.

Blaine nodded. “This is my mother, Pam, and my brother, Cooper. Mom, Cooper, these are Kurt’s parents: Burt and Carole.”

Pam and Cooper smiled from ear to ear and held out their hands to shake, which Burt did, but Carole disregarded that and went straight in for a hug.

“I’m so pleased to meet you both,” Carole enthused. “Sorry for stealing Blaine away from you at Thanksgiving and Christmas. We loved having him with us, but I’m sure you missed him. Maybe we could all celebrate together next year?”

That offer made Pam’s eyes shine. “I’d like that.”

“You could come and have dinner with us after the reception, if you like?” Kurt offered hesitantly. “My parents and my brother and his family are coming too.”

Pam looked at Blaine, who seemed less than happy about this turn of events. “Oh, I wouldn’t want to…”

Blaine interrupted whatever polite platitude Pam was coming up with. “It’s fine. By all means join us. Speaking of dinner, I should go check on it before it’s overcooked. You can come along with me. I think Kurt has more socialising to do, and I’m sure you’d rather watch tonight’s football match.”

“Too right,” said Cooper, clapping Blaine on the back, and Burt grinned.

“Let’s go see if Finn and Rachel and the kids are ready to go,” Blaine suggested, and he led both their families away from Kurt.

Kurt suppressed a sigh as he saw them leave and then continued mingling.

Apart from Nina Garcia, Adela had also brought along two influential fashion bloggers, one of whom raved at length about Naomi’s going-away dress, and an acquaintance of hers who did the costuming for the Broadway show An American in Paris and was enamoured by the suit Sam had modelled. “I want one just like that for Jerry! I’ll e-mail you the actor’s and the understudy’s measurements. Can you give this priority?”

Adrienne had come as well, and had brought all her sorority sisters, many of which wanted to know if Kurt designed dresses for other occasions than weddings.

And Susan had spread the word among the ‘old money’ families, and happily talked Kurt up to them.

All in all, the runway show had been a hit, and would leave Kurt with enough orders to fill several months.

So when the crowd finally started to dwindle, Kurt wrote the maître d’ a cheque to cover all the costs and assured him he’d be back in the morning for the clean-up, and then left the hotel with a huge smile and a spring in his step.

_That went well… Wow, I’m hungry now… I could eat a horse!_


	141. A Successful Show

# Chapter 141: A Succesful Show

“ _Brothers are not like sisters […] They don’t call each other every week. They don’t have secret worlds to share. Can you think of two brothers who are really, inseparably close? No, for brothers it’s a different set of rules. Like it or not, we’re held to the bare minimum. Will you be there for him if he needs you? Of course. Should you love him without question? Absolutely. But those are the easy things. Do you make him a large part of your life, an equal to a wife or a best friend? At the beginning, when you’re kids, the answer is often yes. But when you get to high school, or older? Do you tell him everything? Do you let him know who you really are? The answer is usually no. Because all these other things get in the way. Girlfriends. Rebellion. Work._ ” (David Levithan, _Are We There Yet?_ )

Kurt’s speech was short and to the point, but it clearly showed how proud he was of his designs and how much thought went into them. Blaine beamed when the crowd nodded and smiled while Kurt was speaking and clapped hard when Kurt left the stage.

The show went without a hitch, and before Blaine fully realised, it was his turn to hit the catwalk. He summoned his inner diva to be able to walk the runway confidently, and that worked better than he expected. Blaine felt at ease enough to search for Kurt in the crowd and wink at him.

_Remember last time I wore this suit and what I did then?_

Kurt certainly seemed to remember, if the hungry look in his eyes was any indication, and Blaine smirked a little harder and made his movements a bit more flamboyant in reaction.

Backstage, though, reality awaited him again, in the form of a little boy being violently sick in the changing room.

“I guess Mikey caught the virus from his brother,” Rachel sighed. “Thank heavens he’d already changed into his regular clothes before this happened.”

Blaine hurried to get Rachel some wet wipes to clean up the mess, and then poured a glass of water for Mikey.

“Do you want me to take Mikey to my apartment already?” Blaine offered. “He can take a little nap on my sofa and maybe he’ll feel a bit better by the time he has to travel back to Lima.”

Rachel shook her head decisively. “This is Kurt’s big night, and I’m sure he wants you with him. I’ll stay right here with Mikey and you can come and fetch us when you’re ready to leave.”

Blaine bit his lip, but ended up agreeing, and after walking the runway again with all the other models minus the sick child, Rachel stayed with Mikey, while Finn and Blaine took Sarah and Toby to see their grandparents.

Blaine was distracted while chatting with Burt and Carole, his eyes always roving towards Kurt, who seemed to have gained quite the entourage of enthusiastic fans, their noise level and smothering closeness clearly overwhelming Kurt. Blaine was about to dash to Kurt to rescue him when he saw Susan step into the fray and reprimand the women, after which they slinked away with their tails between their legs. Blaine heaved a sigh of relief and turned his attention back to Carole, nodding when she told him that burgundy suited his complexion so well.

When Blaine next stole a glance at Kurt, he saw that his boyfriend’s eyes shone and that he had difficulty containing his joy while listening attentively to a friend of Susan’s explaining something.

_Who is he talking to? Isn’t that Nina Garcia from Project Runway? It is! Wow, Susan Keller knows a lot of influential people, doesn’t she? I wonder what they are talking about that makes him light up like a firework._

Blaine tuned back into the conversation to hear Finn complain that he was hungry, and how much longer would this take, anyway?

“I’ll go tell Kurt that we’re leaving already,” Blaine offered. “I need to go check on our dinner, anyway. Could you go and help Rachel put the children’s coats on, Finn? We’ll be right there.”

“We’re coming with you, Blaine,” smiled Carole. “I haven’t had the chance yet to tell Kurt how wonderful the show was.”

They approached Kurt, and Blaine was unpleasantly surprised to find that Kurt was now talking to Cooper, of all people.

_What on earth is Cooper doing here? Are my parents here as well? I sincerely hope not…_

Cooper was lamenting that he hadn’t known about Blaine’s boyfriend and making Kurt feel uncomfortable about it. Blaine gritted his teeth.

_Cooper, you IDIOT! Could you, just for once, not make everything about YOU? What does it matter if you know about my love life or not? It’s not like you care!_

And then Cooper blamed Kurt for Blaine not showing up at the Andersons’ Thanksgiving dinner, and Blaine intervened, trying his hardest to keep his voice even and polite, but making it clear that the only one who was to blame was their father.

Cooper seemed surprised for a moment, but then put on his show smile again and intimated that Blaine wasn’t really needed in the Anderson household, seeing as Cooper was the perfect son that ticked all the boxes. Cooper clearly meant it as a joke, winking at Kurt and everything, but nobody was amused. Kurt glared and Burt scowled mightily at Cooper, and even sweet Carole looked disapproving.

Cooper, disappointed that his joke had fallen flat, told Blaine and Kurt that they lacked a sense of humour.

Blaine was about to snap at Cooper when his mother intervened and told them to play nice. Pam complimented Kurt on his show, and embarrassed Blaine by addressing him by his childhood nickname.

_Mom, please! Not in front of Kurt!_

Merriment danced in Kurt’s eyes, and he pursed his lips to keep from laughing.

_Oh no! I’m never going to hear the end of this, am I?_

Burt and Carole were quick to congratulate Kurt, and then asked to be introduced to Blaine’s mother and brother, so Blaine did the honours.

And then, when Carole apologised to Pam for “stealing” Blaine away from her for the holiday dinners and suggested that both families could maybe celebrate together from now on, Kurt felt the need to invite Pam and Cooper to the dinner they were hosting. Blaine’s heart sank.

_Well, at least my father isn’t here… Thank heavens for small mercies. Let’s hope Cooper behaves himself, or this dinner could become awkward really fast._

Pam had noticed Blaine’s less-than-pleased expression. Her face fell, and she tried to turn down Kurt’s invitation politely.

_No… Better to get it over with now… Maybe then, Kurt won’t insist on my mom and my brother coming to our housewarming. And Elliot is good at diffusing tension, while Sebastian is sure to dress down Cooper if he belittles me, and Rachel will keep Cooper from monopolising the conversation. Yes. Ideal situation. Let them come._

So Blaine intervened and told Pam and Cooper to come along with them, seeing as they were heading to his apartment now.

Finn and Rachel were already waiting for them in the entrance hall of the hotel, Finn carrying a sleeping Mikey, while a jealous Toby clawed at Finn’s pants and complained that Finn was HIS daddy and had to carry HIM and not Mikey.

“I can carry you,” Blaine offered. “Want to ride on my shoulders?”

Toby contemplated this for a moment, and then nodded. “Okay.”

Blaine hoisted him up, and Sarah slid a hand into his and offered the other to her grandma.

“Let’s go,” said Blaine. “It’s not far, just a few blocks.”

It was the first time that the Hudmels saw Blaine’s apartment. Carole remarked that it looked very homey and that dinner smelled absolutely fantastic. “Do you need any more help?”

“No, the tajine should be ready by now,” Blaine answered. “There aren’t enough settings at the table yet, though, so maybe you could add some more?”

Blaine handed Carole some extra plates and Sarah the cutlery, and together, they completed the table settings.

Blaine checked on the tajine, and the meat was so tender it fell off the bone, so he turned off the heat.

Blaine’s phone dinged. It turned out to be a text message from Sebastian, who asked if Blaine had left yet.

_Oh… I should have taken Seb and Elliot along, too…_

Blaine quickly answered that he was about to dish out dinner, “so get here asap, ‘cause Finn eats for three”.

Blaine ladled some tajine into two bowls for the children - only for Sarah and Toby, seeing as Mikey was still asleep, now on Blaine’s sofa, and wouldn’t be eating anything regardless, as long as he felt nauseous. Blaine cut up the meat for Toby and removed the bones, and then told everyone to take a seat. He put the tajine on the table and encouraged his guests to serve themselves.

Finn beamed, filled his plate to overflowing and dug in without further ado.

“Finn!” hissed Rachel.

“Wha’?” Finn asked with his mouth full.

“Wait until everyone is served!” Rachel admonished him.

Finn shot her a confused look, and Rachel gave a very unsubtle nod in the direction of Pam and Cooper. Cooper disguised a snigger as a cough, and Finn shrugged. “All right.”

The intercom buzzed, and Blaine let in Sebastian and Elliot. Again, introductions were in order, but Blaine kept it short and quickly ushered his friends to the dinner table and served them tajine. “Enjoy your meal! Was Kurt still talking to clients?”

Elliot nodded. “I think he’ll be stuck there for a while yet. This is yummy, by the way.”

There were hums and grunts of assent from all around the table, and Blaine beamed and started eating himself.

_I hope Kurt doesn’t take too long. I’m sure he’s famished, too, by now…_


	142. Sugar and Spice

# Chapter 142: Sugar and Spice

“ _I'm a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let him down._ ” (Abraham Lincoln)

Even Finn had finished eating by the time Kurt came home, hungry but exhilarated. He told them all about Nina Garcia wanting to feature him in Marie Claire magazine and about the Broadway order, and they gasped and congratulated him.

“Nina was full of praise,” Pam told Kurt. “She was really impressed with your designs. As of course we all were.”

“You know Nina Garcia as well?” Kurt asked her, his eyebrows raised.

“Oh yes,” Pam smiled. “We met in college.”

“Small world,” Carole said softly. “Now eat, Kurt, before you collapse.”

Kurt obediently helped himself to tajine and started eating at a speed rivalling Finn’s. Nothing more was said until Kurt had cleared his plate. Then Finn asked, “What’s for dessert?”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “You’re more of a child than Toby and Sarah. Where are they, anyway?”

“Toby fell asleep on Carole’s lap, and Sarah wasn’t far behind, so I put them in our bed for the moment,” Blaine explained.

Kurt nodded. “You’ll have to make do with coffee and cookies, Finn. We didn’t really have the time to prepare anything more time-consuming. But they’re double chocolate chip, so you can’t complain.”

Finn beamed. “That’s fine.”

The cookie tin was plundered thoroughly, not only by Finn, but also by Cooper, who had a sweet tooth a mile wide, and Sebastian and Elliot.

“These are SO good,” moaned Cooper after his first big bite. “Are you sure you don’t want to swap Blaine for me, Kurt?”

Kurt laughed. “Okay, first off, Blaine made the cookies, not me, and secondly, no, thank you. There’s nobody in the whole world I’d want to swap Blaine for.”

Amid the laughter around the table, Blaine grinned from ear to ear and kissed Kurt on the cheek. Out of the corner of his eye, Blaine saw his mother clasp her hands together and then wipe away a tear.

“Well, Blaine, I don’t know if Kurt told you, but my birthday’s was last Tuesday, so if you want to give me a late birthday present while I’m here, all I want is a big tin of your cookies, just so you know,” Sebastian said.

“Thanks for the tip,” Blaine chuckled.

“Can I place my order, too?” Cooper asked, and everyone laughed again.

“My birthday’s in May,” Finn stated, “but you really don’t have to wait until then. Bring some of these cookies for next Friday’s dinner.”

“Maybe if you ask nicely,” Kurt said pointedly.

“Please and thank you,” Finn added promptly. “Or you could give the recipe to Mom.”

“Please do,” Carole concurred, nibbling daintily on a cookie. “They’re delicious.”

Carole turned to Pam and asked, “Is it your recipe?”

Cooper snorted, and Pam looked at him reprovingly before answering, “No, it’s not. I don’t cook or bake. Blaine gets that from my mother, I think.”

“You learnt this from Nana?” Cooper wanted to know. “No wonder these cookies are so good!”

Blaine nodded. “Yes, it’s Nana’s recipe. I add extra chocolate chips, though.”

K&B

The Hudmels didn’t stay long after dessert, citing a long trek back to Lima and three exhausted children, the women doling out hugs to everyone before they left. Sebastian’s eyebrows rose to his hairline when first Carole and then Rachel threw their arms around him and told him how nice it had been to meet him, and Blaine had a hard time tamping down the bubble of laughter working its way up to his throat when he saw Sebastian’s perplexed face.

Pam and Cooper beamed, though, happy to be included, and Blaine realised that he’d actually enjoyed the impromptu family get-together. Maybe he’d invite both of them for the housewarming party, too.

And then Cooper announced, obnoxiously loudly, that it was time for him and Pam to leave as well, seeing as Kurt and Blaine no doubt had celebratory sex in mind as soon as all their guests were gone.

Kurt glared at Cooper, Rachel giggled, Pam and Carole rolled their eyes, Sebastian and Elliot burst out laughing and Finn and Burt looked slightly nauseous at the thought.

_Thanks for that, Cooper! Subtle, as always…_

“I guess that’s our cue to leave, too,” grinned Elliot, and went to fetch his and Sebastian’s coats.

Kurt’s face fell. “You’re leaving so soon? When are you heading back to New York?”

“Sunday afternoon,” answered Sebastian. “Want to meet up for coffee tomorrow?”

Kurt nodded. “And I want to show you the house we bought.”

“Okay… Text us. In the afternoon, though. I want to sleep in.”

“Lazybones,” Kurt teased Sebastian, sticking his tongue out at him.

“Maybe I just want to avoid your morning mood, Mr Don’t-Talk-To-Me-Before-Ten-AM,” Sebastian countered with a smirk.

“Touché,” Blaine whispered, and Burt chuckled.

As Finn and Burt were already carrying Sarah and Toby, respectively, Blaine offered to carry Mikey as far as Finn’s car. Mikey never woke up while Blaine bundled him into his coat, brought him to the car and strapped him in.

“Let’s hope he’ll stay asleep the whole time and won’t puke in the car,” Finn mumbled. “Toby did that once, and it stank for months.”

“I think Mikey’s out for the night,” Blaine said. “Thanks for helping with the show! And we’ll see you next Friday, I guess.”

“See you next week,” Finn beamed, clapping Blaine on the back.

K&B

Once their guests had left, Kurt let out a deep sigh. “I’m so glad it all went without a hitch. And I’ve got so many new orders, it’s crazy!”

Blaine smiled at him. “You deserve it, love. Your designs are amazing.”

Kurt sank down on the sofa. “And I’m going to be in a magazine! I’m getting a feature article in Marie Claire!”

“I know,” Blaine beamed. “I’m going to buy so many copies of that magazine!”

And then Blaine was taken by surprise when Kurt tugged him off-balance and straight onto his lap, and latched his lips to Blaine’s in a demanding kiss. When they came up for air, Kurt confessed, “I’ve been wanting to do this all night. Seeing you come down that runway as sex personified, ugh! You did all that sashaying on purpose, admit it! I saw you wink at me!”

Blaine smirked at Kurt, but didn’t say a word. Instead, he started to undo the buttons of Kurt’s shirt, pushing it off Kurt’s shoulders and kissing up Kurt’s neck.

Kurt sighed and let his head fall back, eyes closed. Blaine gently bit on Kurt’s right earlobe, making him shiver, and then, in one fluid motion, stripped Kurt of his undershirt, after which he traced Kurt’s clavicles with his tongue and then took to suckling his nipples, one by one.

Kurt moaned, bucking up his hips, and Blaine popped the button of Kurt’s trousers and opened the zipper. He went lower and mouthed at Kurt’s dick through his boxers, and Kurt let out a high mewl.

Blaine tugged the trousers off with some difficulty and then went back to nosing and mouthing at Kurt until his impatient boyfriend took off his boxers himself. Seeing Kurt spread out like that over his sofa made Blaine’s mouth water, and he wasted no more time teasing.

As soon as Kurt had come down from his orgasm, he frowned. “You’re still wearing way too many clothes!”

Blaine chuckled, but didn’t protest when Kurt made quick work of divesting Blaine of his clothes and then led him towards the bedroom. “I believe I was promised a lap dance…”


	143. Late to Dinner

# Chapter 143: Late to Dinner

_“Do you think the ability to sleep in counts as a special skill?” I asked Dad, trying to sound torn over the decision._

_“Yes, list that. And don’t forget to write that you can eat an entire meal in under five minutes,” he replied. I laughed. It was true; I did tend to inhale my food._

_“Oh, the both of you! Why don’t you just write down that you’re an absolute heathen!” My mother went storming from the room.”_

(Kiera Cass, _The Selection_ )

When Kurt arrived at Blaine’s apartment, Blaine and their dinner guests were chatting happily. Kurt was pleased to see that the two families, and even Seb and Elliot, seemed to get along well, and that Blaine looked relaxed and content.

There were congratulations all around, and then Carole told Kurt to eat. Kurt’s stomach rumbled loudly, and he needed no more prompting to fill a plate with tajine and start shovelling it into his mouth.

_Aaah… That’s better!_

When he’d cleared his plate, he caught Finn grinning at him, probably remembering all those times Kurt had told Finn to slow down a bit while eating. “The food’s not going anywhere.” Finn’s rejoinder was always a plaintive “But I’m so hungry!” Now Kurt understood just what Finn meant, but he flushed a little at the thought of having forgone basic table manners to stuff his mouth with food as fast as he could, especially in the company of Blaine’s mother. He glanced at Pam furtively, but she was swapping childhood stories of her boys with Carole and paid Kurt no mind.

Kurt smiled as she told Carole about a tiny Blaine sneaking into the pantry to open all the packets of biscuits and take a bite out of each one, and afterwards vehemently denying that he had anything to do with it, though the chocolate and crumbs around his mouth were a dead giveaway.

That led to Finn asking what they would be getting for dessert, and Kurt rustled up some of Blaine’s chocolate chip cookies and let Blaine make espressos and other fancy coffees for all their guests.

The cookies were a hit. So much so that Sebastian requested a tin of them as a late birthday gift, and that instantly made Kurt feel guilty.

_Uh-oh, I’ve been so busy with the runway show that I totally forgot about his birthday! Well, in my defense, we haven’t been on speaking terms for many years, but still…_

Finn asked for Blaine to bring cookies to next week’s Hudmel dinner, or to give the recipe to Carole, and that sparked a conversation about Blaine’s grandmother, whose recipe it was. She sounded like a delightful woman, and Kurt’s mouth started to water when Cooper and Blaine described the sugary treats she used to make.

_I hope Blaine has the recipe to those lemon meringue kisses… They sound amazing!_

Carole and Pam were laughing and talking as if they’d known each other for years, and Burt had to clear his throat several times for Carole to pay attention to him. “What is it, dear?”

“Shouldn’t we be going home? The kids are asleep already, and it takes two hours to get back to Lima.”

Carole sighed and got up. “All right, then. Blaine, Kurt, thank you so much for inviting us over. I had a lovely time, both at the show and at dinner.”

Carole circled the table to hug the other guests, closely followed by Rachel, who hugged them all as well.

“It was lovely meeting you all,” Carole smiled. “Perhaps we could do this again sometime.”

“I’m thrilled I got to meet all of you, after hearing so much about you from Blaine and Kurt,” Rachel added.

Pam and Cooper beamed and nodded enthusiastically. Seb looked absolutely stunned speechless by the unexpected hugs, and then smiled politely. Elliot returned the hugs warmly and told Carole he’d much enjoyed meeting Kurt’s family.

Rachel rushed to fetch the children’s coats and shoes, and admonished Finn to get on with it, too. Finn got up, yawned hugely and popped his joints, leading to a scandalised “Finn!!” from both Carole and Kurt, and a snigger from Cooper and Seb.

Rachel called Finn from the bedroom to help with the children, and Kurt, remembering Mikey, looked for the boy’s coat and shoes and put them on, careful not to jostle Mikey too much.

Meanwhile, Cooper and Pam were following the Hudmels’ example and getting ready to leave, too, though Kurt could have done without Cooper’s side commentary about how Kurt and Blaine needed some privacy to celebrate Kurt’s success in bed.

_Now I know what Blaine meant about Cooper embarrassing him non-stop! Ugh… My dad is looking so uncomfortable right now…_

And then Elliot got up, too, and announced his intention to leave as well, and Kurt felt disappointed.

_So soon? Well, I guess you’ve been here a lot longer than I have, but I wanted to spend some more time with you both before you go back to New York!_

Luckily, Seb told Kurt they wouldn’t be leaving until Sunday, and Kurt was quick to make plans to meet up the next day.

Blaine left with the guests to carry Mikey to Finn’s car and came back with a red nose, rubbing his hands together furiously to get them warm again. Kurt sat down on the sofa and motioned for Blaine to join him. As soon as Blaine was within reach, Kurt yanked him onto his lap, and though Kurt shivered at how cold Blaine felt to the touch, he pulled Blaine as close to him as he could, kissing him for good measure.

_Aah! It feels good to finally be able to do this! I wanted to ravish you as soon as I saw you on the catwalk…_

After some intense kissing, Kurt took Blaine’s head in both hands and accused him of making Kurt all hot and bothered on purpose, there on the runway.

Blaine neither confirmed nor denied the truth of that statement, choosing instead to fiddle with Kurt’s shirt buttons, all the while kissing Kurt hungrily. Kurt lost his shirt before he was fully aware of it, and Blaine immediately latched onto Kurt’s neck.

_Mmm, that feels so good…_

Kurt melted into a puddle on the spot, and let Blaine strip him further and run his tongue over Kurt’s chest.

Lost in a warm haze of content and arousal while Blaine was lapping at him, Kurt vaguely noticed Blaine taking his trousers off at some point as well, and couldn’t help but react when Blaine started mouthing at his erection. Blaine seemed intent on just teasing him for a while longer, though, and after a while, Kurt lost his patience, huffed, and slid his boxers down himself, kicking them off. He draped himself over the sofa enticingly, and looked at Blaine from beneath his eyelashes. That sparked a hot glint in Blaine’s eyes, and Blaine set to work, managing to make Kurt come in a record time.

A little later, Kurt realised that he was lying there stark naked, while Blaine still had all his clothes on.

_Now that’s not fair!_

Kurt stripped Blaine as fast as he could, and then took his boyfriend to the bedroom.

_Your turn now… Though I’ll make you work for it a little first!_

Kurt requested the lap dance Blaine had promised him earlier and put on some jazz music. Blaine laughed and protested that there wasn’t much point to that now that they were both naked already, but gave in when Kurt pouted at him.

Kurt realised what Blaine meant when Blaine started dancing. Moves that would have looked very sexy had Blaine been wearing boxers or a string were not so effective when performed in the nude. Blaine’s dick swinging left and right made the dance look rather silly, but Kurt still enjoyed the show a lot, even more so when Blaine came to sit on his lap and ground down while stroking Kurt’s back and nibbling at his sternum.

“Let’s… Let’s take this to the bed,” Kurt gasped out, and they tumbled into bed, where Kurt worked Blaine open slowly and lovingly. All sense of urgency disappeared when he saw his boyfriend look up at him with so much trust and devotion, and Kurt took his time making sweet love to Blaine.

Afterwards, Kurt lay on his back with Blaine’s head on his chest, absent-mindedly playing with Blaine’s curls, while Blaine’s moans of contentment rumbled through him.

“Don’t tell your brother, but he was right,” Kurt confessed. “I needed this.”

Blaine chuckled. “My lips are sealed. Quick clean-up?”

“Mmm-hmm,” Kurt hummed, half-asleep already. He felt Blaine get up and then something soft and warm swipe over him, and cracked an eye open with difficulty to slur, “Thank you, sweetie. G’night. Love you.”

Blaine chuckled again. “Goodnight, love. I love you too.”


	144. Under the Weather

# Chapter 144: Under the Weather

_“How do you feel?”_

_He rubbed his stomach. “Like I’ve been eating Styrofoam.”_

(Dan Brown, _Angels & Demons_)

 

When Kurt woke up the next day, Blaine’s spot next to him was empty and cold. Kurt couldn’t smell any coffee, though.

_Has Blaine gone jogging?_

Kurt was just debating turning around and dozing off again until Blaine returned when he heard loud retching in the bathroom.

That had Kurt jump up from the bed as fast as he could and hurry to his boyfriend.

Kurt rapped on the bathroom door. “Blaine? Are you okay? Can I come in?”

Kurt got only a weak moan in response, and when he opened the door, Blaine lay on the floor, holding his stomach and looking absolutely miserable.

“I think I caught Mikey’s stomach bug,” Blaine whispered hoarsely.

Kurt filled a toothbrush cup with water and crouched next to Blaine, helping him sit up and handing him the water. Blaine sipped from it gingerly, as if he thought his stomach would rebel again. Kurt rubbed Blaine’s back and then took the cup back.

“Let’s go back to bed,” Kurt suggested. “You haven’t been sleeping well the past few days, and that’s made you more vulnerable to viruses. Let’s make this a lazy Saturday, and sleep in. That will do you good.”

Blaine bit his lip, and then nodded and followed Kurt. Blaine was lost to the world almost from the moment his head hit his pillow. Kurt gently brushed Blaine’s curls out of his eyes and kissed his forehead. Then he loosely draped an arm around Blaine’s waist and closed his eyes as well.

The next thing Kurt knew, he was drowsily blinking against the sunlight streaming into the bedroom, blindly groping for his phone, which had just beeped loudly.

**From: Sebastian Smythe**

So when and where do we meet up today?

**From: Sebastian Smythe**

Starbucks okay with you? There’s one right in front of the hotel, and I’m lazy today. Feeling out of sorts.

_Join the club…_

Kurt replied quickly.

**To: Sebastian Smythe**

Blaine’s a bit under the weather too. Starbucks is fine. 3 PM?

**From: Sebastian Smythe**

It’s a date :-)

Kurt put his phone on the bedside table again, after checking the time. It was past noon already. Blaine was still sleeping soundly, so Kurt tiptoed out of the room as quietly as he could.

Kurt took a cold shower to clear his head a little, fuzzy with too much sleep, and then went to the kitchen to eat some breakfast and make chicken soup for Blaine.

He’d just lifted the lid to prick in the vegetables and chicken to see if they were done when Blaine stumbled into the kitchen, looking bleary-eyed and very pale.

“Hey honey…” Kurt smiled. “I made you soup.”

Blaine clutched his stomach and grimaced.

“Too soon?” Kurt asked, and Blaine nodded.

“Have a glass of water then,” Kurt insisted, filling a glass with tap water and holding it out to Blaine. “You need to stay hydrated.”

Blaine sighed, but obediently took the glass and started sipping. When he’d all but drained the glass, he suddenly went even paler and rushed to the bathroom. He didn’t come out again for a long while.

Kurt fetched his phone and texted to Sebastian.

**To: Sebastian Smythe**

We’ll have to take a rain check. Blaine isn’t at all well and should be in bed.

Five minutes later, his phone rang. It wasn’t Seb but Elliot.

“Hey Kurt… Seb’s in bed too. Stomach virus. Must have caught it from that kid yesterday.”

Kurt sighed. “Yes, probably. Let’s hope it’s a 24-hour virus and will be over by tomorrow. Take care of Seb, will you?”

Elliot chuckled. “Yes, Mom.”

Kurt huffed. “Don’t call me Mom.”

Elliot laughed. “Yes, Dad.”

“Or Dad!” Kurt fumed.

“Okay… Take care of Blaine, will you?” asked Elliot.

“Of course,” Kurt promised.

“Maybe we can meet for lunch tomorrow,” Elliot continued. “Keep in touch.”

“I will,” said Kurt. “Bye, Elliot.”

“Bye.”

Kurt put his phone on the coffee table and went to check on Blaine, who was just rinsing his mouth, leaning heavily on the sink as though his legs refused to hold him up. Kurt put an arm around Blaine’s waist and half carried him back to bed.

Kurt spent the rest of the afternoon on the two blue suits ordered for “An American in Paris”, cutting the fabric and sewing, humming the songs from the musical. Finally, pleased with the progress he’d made, he called it a day, and he was just about to heat up a bowl of chicken soup for himself when Blaine trudged into the living room, looking slightly less green around the edges.

“How are you feeling, sweetie?” Kurt asked. “Do you want some soup now?”

Blaine made a face. “I don’t really want to eat, but I feel so washed out. I think I’d better try and have some soup, yes. To get some energy again.”

Kurt heated the soup in the microwave and found some wheat crackers for Blaine to nibble on as well. “Here you go, sweetie.”

Blaine finished his soup and his crackers, rinsed out his bowl and then went to sit on the sofa and zapped through the television channels. Kurt joined him on the sofa, [pulling Blaine’s back against his chest, and leafed through a fashion magazine](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/2e/25/3b/2e253b550dd7cf3275b31de9abda1bf1.jpg). After a while, Blaine switched off the television and read along with Kurt, pointing out accessories or looks that he liked and playfully arguing about them with Kurt when he didn’t agree. When he started yawning mid-sentence, though, Kurt threw the magazine on the coffee table and announced that it was bed time.

“But I’ve done nothing else but sleep all day!” Blaine protested feebly.

“Your body needs rest,” Kurt said firmly, and steered his boyfriend to the bathroom.

In bed, Kurt spooned Blaine, holding him in his arms protectively and pressing soft kisses to his neck.

“I’m sorry for ruining our get-together with Seb and Elliot,” Blaine whispered.

“Seb was sick, too,” Kurt replied. “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. I got a lot of work done this afternoon, so I’m happy about that. And if you’re better, we can meet up tomorrow. If not, they’ll be back in March. That’s only two months from now. Seriously, it’s no big deal.”

“Kurt?”

“Yes, sweetie?”

“Thanks for taking care of me.”

“You’re welcome. I hope you’ll feel better tomorrow, after a good night’s sleep. Goodnight, sweetie. I love you.”

“Sweet dreams, love. I love you too.”

K&B

The following morning, Blaine declared that he felt as good as new again. He did look better, that was true. Kurt advised him to be careful, though, and to forego coffee and fat and spicy food for the time being, until his stomach was fully recovered.

They called Elliot to hear if his patient had rejoined the land of the living as well, and thankfully, Seb had, so they agreed to meet up for lunch at the sushi restaurant near Blaine’s school.

It was nice catching up with their friends, though they had seen them only a few weeks prior. Kurt and Seb never ran out of topics to discuss, and Elliot and Blaine alternated between laughing about their respective boyfriends’ verbal sparring and chiming into the discussion enthusiastically.

They only parted regretfully when Elliot noticed it was past 2 PM already and he and Seb had to leave for the airport. Kurt hugged first Seb and then Elliot goodbye.

“Make sure Seb sleeps well and eats healthy food,” Kurt told Elliot.

Seb rolled his eyes at Kurt, and he and Elliot looked at each other and then chorused, “Yes, Mom.”

Blaine dissolved into giggles and Kurt swatted at all three of them. “Don’t laugh at me. And don’t call me Mom.”

“Don’t act like one!” Seb retorted. “I’m all grown up, you know. No need to baby me.”

“Oh yes, there is need,” Kurt disagreed. “You clearly don’t know how to take care of yourself. Keep in touch, will you? If you don’t, I’ll worry.”

Seb pulled an innocent face. “Yes, Mom.”

Kurt huffed and cuffed the back of Seb’s head. “Stop it!”

Seb, darting out of Kurt’s reach, repeated “Yes, Mom”, and then took Elliot’s hand and tugged him away. “Bye, Blaine! Bye, Kurt! See you in March!”


	145. Sleeping the Day Away

# Chapter 145: Sleeping the Day Away

“ _It is in moments of illness that we are compelled to recognize that we live not alone but chained to a creature of a different kingdom, whole worlds apart, who has no knowledge of us and by whom it is impossible to make ourselves understood: our body._ ” (Marcel Proust)

Blaine shivered and cringed when even that small movement made his cramps worse. He’d woken up in the early morning and had to sprint to the bathroom to hurl out the contents of his stomach.

 _So I guess I’ve caught Mikey’s virus then_ , he’d thought dully, and then another bout of nausea hit him and all rational thought went out of the window.

Now he’d camped out in the bathroom for what seemed like hours, and still his stomach wouldn’t quiet down, though anything he’d eaten yesterday was long gone. His mouth tasted foul and his throat burned, and he didn’t even have the energy to sit up anymore, lying on the cold hard tiles of the bathroom floor like a zombie.

_I had better get up and move to the sofa in the living room, or else Kurt will worry. He’s bound to wake up soon._

But as soon as Blaine tried to sit up, his stomach protested and he was heaving again, and crying because the bile hurt his throat so much.

And then there was a smart rap on the bathroom door, and Kurt’s voice floated through, asking Blaine if he was all right and if Kurt could come in.

_Oh no! Please don’t! I don’t want you to see me like this!_

All that came from Blaine’s throat, though, was a half-moaning, half-croaking sound, and then Kurt was there, solicitous and worried. He made Blaine drink some water and then ordered him back into bed, to sleep off the virus. Blaine hesitated a moment - _What if I get nauseous again and can’t reach the bathroom in time?_ \- but visions of a soft warm bed lured him to the bedroom anyway. He figured that his stomach was empty enough to risk it.

Blaine sank onto the bed and was out within seconds. When he woke up, it was bright daylight, and he could hear Kurt humming in the kitchen, so he forced himself to get up and join his boyfriend.

Kurt greeted him cheerfully, and offered him chicken soup, but just the smell of it made Blaine’s stomach roll again, and he declined. Kurt told Blaine to drink some water instead, and Blaine obeyed, but then regretted drinking anything when it made his nausea come back in full force. He hurried to the bathroom, and stayed there until Kurt came and helped him back to bed. Blaine thought about protesting, but his legs felt like lead and his eyelids drooped closed of their own accord, and he passed out again.

The next time he woke up, it was already dark again outside.

_I’ve slept the whole day away… And Kurt wanted to meet up with Elliot and Sebastian! Well, on the bright side, my stomach seems to have settled, and I feel a lot more alive again._

Blaine found Kurt in the kitchen again, filling a bowl with chicken soup, and realised that the thought of food no longer made him want to curl up and die. He wasn’t hungry either, though. He just felt empty. So when Kurt offered him some soup, he accepted this time, and he forced himself to finish the bowl. His stomach gurgled a little, but had no further tantrums.

Still, Blaine didn’t want to tempt fate and decided on a low-key activity for the rest of the day. He lounged on the sofa and switched the TV on, zapping idly to find a programme worth watching. Kurt joined Blaine and pulled him into his arms. Kurt didn’t watch TV, though, preferring to read a magazine. When Blaine couldn’t find a programme that held his attention, he took to focussing on the magazine, too, discussing what he saw with Kurt. Much too soon for his liking, though, a haze of tiredness stole over him again, and much as he tried to keep Kurt from noticing, the jaw-breaking yawn that escaped Blaine made Kurt close the magazine and pull Blaine towards the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Blaine apologised for preventing Kurt from seeing Seb and Elliot, but Kurt quickly shushed him, pointing out that Seb was ill, too, and that they’d have another chance on Sunday.

K & B

Sunday started off a lot better for Blaine. He slept in again, only waking up around 8 AM and feeling wonderfully refreshed and full of energy again. He said as much to Kurt, who frowned and seemed to think he was overly optimistic, forbidding him to have coffee for at least another day.

Blaine and Kurt met up with Seb and Elliot for lunch. Seb was completely recovered as well, if his sass and his gleeful riling up of Kurt were anything to go by. Blaine laughed until he cried at their exchanges, Kurt reacting to Seb with barbs and dry wit of his own.

Blaine was sorry to see their friends leave so soon, but smiled when he realised he’d be seeing them again in less than two months.

_That’s really nothing. And then we’ll get to sing together again. I’m so much looking forward to that!_

It wasn’t until they were home again that Blaine realised they hadn’t discussed Blaine’s plan to have Seb and Elliot announcing the TV series. Had Kurt kept silent about it on purpose, or had it just not occurred to him?

Kurt didn’t seem to think he’d forgotten to mention anything. He just lamented the fact that they had talked for so long at lunch that they hadn’t had any time left to show off their house to Seb and Elliot.

“Next time,” Blaine smiled. “It will be in a better state to receive visitors, then. Now it’s dusty and the ripped-out kitchen and bathrooms look depressing.”

“True,” Kurt sighed. “The end result will be beautiful, though.”

“It will,” Blaine agreed.

“I doubt we’ll haved moved by then, though,” Kurt frowned. “So they won’t be able to stay at our place.”

Blaine hummed, moving to the bedroom to strip the bed, since he’d been sweating so profusely while he was sick, took new bed linen from the linen cupboard and deftly made the bed, with a little help from Kurt.

They moved through the other household chores with practised ease. Blaine sometimes marvelled at how easily and efficiently they divided up the tasks and how little time it took to take care of everything together.

When the laundry and the ironing were done and every room in the apartment had been vacuum-cleaned, they retired to the sofa for some quiet time. Blaine spent it planning next week’s lessons and Kurt took his laptop and started writing, humming under his breath as he did so. Blaine took the melody Kurt was producing and expanded and embellished it, whistling the tune. At first, Kurt didn’t notice, so absorbed was he in his writing, but gradually, his humming stopped, and then he turned his head to look at Blaine, listening intently.

When Blaine ended the tune, Kurt smiled at him radiantly. “That’s beautiful. What is it?”

“The theme song for your TV series,” Blaine quipped. “You were humming while writing, and I just ran with it and made it a full song.”

“I was just humming randomly,” Kurt said. “I don’t think I could reproduce that tune exactly if I tried again. Could you?”

Blaine grinned at Kurt and whistled the song all over again from the beginning. Kurt started humming along, his eyes shining.

“The theme song, huh?” Kurt mused. “Hmm… It has potential. I’ll have to think up some lyrics. Could we sing it as a duet?”

Blaine’s grin widened, and he nodded enthusiastically. “Of course. I’ll write down the music for you.”

And then Kurt suddenly clapped a hand to his forehead. “THAT’s what I’ve forgotten! All day long, I had a feeling I’d forgotten something, and now I know… I was going to talk to Seb and Elliot about announcing the TV series! And now they’re gone and they’ll be busy preparing their concert tour. Why did I forget? Stupid, stupid, stupid!”

Kurt sighed and threw his head back.

“We can always skype one of these days,” Blaine suggested.

Kurt lifted his head and smiled at Blaine gratefully. “Yes, we’ll do that instead. If they’re not too busy to talk to us.”

“Never,” Blaine said with conviction. “They jumped on a plane to be part of your runway show. Clearly, you’re a priority for them. They’ll make time for you.”


	146. Priorities

# Chapter 146: Priorities

 _“Never be so busy as not to think of others.”_ (Mother Teresa, _The Joy in Loving: A Guide to Daily Living_ )

Blaine was fully expecting Kurt to contact Seb and Elliot the very next day, only he didn’t. Kurt was in full workaholic mode again, juggling finishing the two suits for Broadway with designing for other new clients and sewing accessory orders. When Blaine came to fetch him at the shop on Monday evening, Kurt seemed surprised to see him arrive already, and confessed that he’d completely forgotten to have lunch. They made a quick dinner together, and Kurt ate ravenously, after which he dove back into his work and had to be reminded to go to bed at eleven PM.

Accordingly, from Tuesday onwards, Blaine made or bought lunch for two and hurried to Kurt’s shop during his lunch break to make sure Kurt ate.

The first time Blaine showed up unannounced at lunch time, Kurt pronounced it a lovely and romantic surprise. When Blaine kept doing it, Kurt had a knowing smile every time Blaine turned up.

Finally, on Friday, Kurt spoke up about it. “Yes, yes, I know, I get obsessed with my work and forget mundane matters like eating and sleeping, but you don’t have to look after me as though I were a child, sweetie.”

Blaine swallowed a mouthful of rice and wanted to apologise or defend himself or a mixture of both, but Kurt wasn’t finished talking. “I selfishly love it, though. You taking care of me like that.”

Kurt looked at Blaine from under his lashes and put his hand on Blaine’s. “Thank you, sweetheart. You’re amazing. I should tell you that more often.”

Blaine ducked his head and then smiled at Kurt bashfully. “You’re very welcome. I love that you work close enough for us to have lunch together.”

A while later, he had to flat-out run back to school because he was running late, but it had been worth it. He reached the school yard just in time to hear the bell ring, and Juliet, who had surveillance duty, shook her head at him with an indulgent smile.

Blaine may have thought he’d gotten off scot-free, but when school let out, Jeff and Tina stood there waiting for him when he left his classroom.

“Oh, hey, guys,” Blaine said cheerfully.

Tina scowled at him, crossing her arms. “And exactly WHERE have you been all week? Now that you’ve got Kurt, we’re no longer a bleep on your radar, is that it?”

Blaine threw his hands out in a defensive gesture. “Tay-Tay, no! I’m sorry I didn’t eat lunch with you the past few days. Kurt’s been so busy that I wanted to make sure he ate.”

“Try another one,” Jeff remarked drily. “That’s code for “I wanted a quickie during my lunch break”, right?”

“Jeff!” Blaine and Tina both rebuked their friend, and then they looked at each other and started to giggle.

As soon as Blaine had caught his breath again, he assured Jeff that he really and truly went to Kurt’s shop to bring him food and to have lunch with him.

Jeff raised a challenging eyebrow. “Uh-uh… That’s why you came back to school today wearing such a blissed-out expression? Because your lunch was so yummy? Nope. Not buying it.”

Jeff stared Blaine down until he started blushing and admitted that something might have gone down in Kurt’s shop earlier. Jeff grinned like a Cheshire cat and Tina exclaimed “TMI!” dramatically, but couldn’t help but grin, too.

“Next week, try and make some time for us, okay?” Jeff told Blaine. “I know you’re still in your honeymoon phase, and I think that’s going to last really long for the both of you, but don’t forget about your friends, please.”

Blaine hung his head and promised to spend time with them, and finally, after some more good-natured teasing, Jeff and Tina took off, wishing Blaine a nice weekend.

Blaine’s Hudmel Friday dinner alarm beeped, and Blaine skipped checking on their house to go fetch Kurt at his shop and get ready to go to Lima.

They arrived at the Hudmel’s ten minutes to seven, and Burt grunted approvingly when Carole showed them into the living room. “You haven’t forgotten this time. Good!”

“You’ve got Blaine to thank for that,” Kurt stated blithely. “If it had been up to me, I’d have been working until the early hours of the morning.”

Carole tutted. “Honey, even if you have a lot of work, you need to take a break regularly to eat, and you need to make sure you get enough sleep, otherwise you’ll fall ill.”

Kurt shrugged. “I do eat, and I do sleep. I’m just… Really focussed. And it was Blaine who got ill last week.”

Carole turned to Blaine with worry in her eyes. “Really? Are you okay now, sweetie? You look rather pale… And have you lost weight?”

Blaine felt a bit nervous under Carole’s scrutiny, and hastened to assure her that he was absolutely fine now, and that it had only been a one-day stomach virus, which he had caught from Tina’s sons at the runway show.

Carole nodded knowingly. “Finn had it too, the next day, and so did Toby. Rachel and Sarah followed the day after. A stomach bug is very contagious. Didn’t you catch it, Kurt?”

Kurt’s smile was a little smug. “No, I didn’t. You wouldn’t say so by the look of me, but I’m strong as a horse. I hardly ever get sick.”

“But when he does, he’s horrible,” Burt added. “Fair warning, Blaine. When Kurt is ill, he’s a real pain in the neck. He’s whiny and grumpy and snappy and impossible, and you’ll wish him miles away.”

Blaine smiled. “I’m not afraid.”

Kurt rolled his eyes and declared that Burt was exaggerating, and asked Carole what they would be having for dinner, seeming relieved when the bell rang and the Hudson-Berry’s came in and immediately took over the conversation.

After dinner, Kurt and Rachel sat together to discuss Mercedes’ wedding, and Kurt showed Rachel pictures he’d taken of the sketches for Mercedes’ wedding dress, discussing the pros and cons of each option with her.

Blaine sat with Burt and Finn and watched a football game. Toby clambered onto his lap, and Sarah came to sit next to Blaine too, and snuggled up to him, so Blaine slung an arm around her and basked in the feeling of being part of a loving family.

All too soon, Rachel looked up from her wedding planning to announce that it time to leave, seeing as it was bedtime for the children. Carole offered to let Sarah and Toby sleep in Finn and Kurt’s rooms, but Rachel was adamant, and barely ten minutes later, Finn and the children were reluctantly ushered out of the house to go home. Sarah’s strident protest - “But I wanted Uncle Blaine to tell us a story!” - faded away gradually when the Hudson-Berry’s turned the corner and disappeared out of sight.

_Wow, that girl has some lungs on her. I wouldn’t have minded telling her a story, but I got distracted watching the game. I’ll try and remember next time. Priorities._


	147. Hiring Help

# Chapter 147: Hiring Help

" _It's funny, when you're a child you think time will never go by, but when you hit about twenty, time passes like you're on the fast train to Memphis. I guess life just slips up on everybody. It sure did on me._ " (Fannie Flagg, _Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe_ )

Kurt threw himself into his work. With orders flooding in faster than he could make them, he was run ragged trying to keep up, and seriously considered taking on a seamstress or two, and a store clerk for all the people who stepped into his shop to browse and buy accessories. In Lima, that only happened once in a blue moon. In Westerville, the shop attracted dozens of people every day. Not everyone bought or ordered something, but Kurt had to attend to them anyway, and in doing so, he lost time he could have spent designing or cutting fabric or sewing.

_Yes, taking on a store clerk would be a good idea. I’ll ask Puck if he knows of someone who’d be interested. Puck knows everyone and their mother. If there are any suitable candidates out there, he’ll know._

Accordingly, Kurt called Puck and said he was looking for a shop assistant and maybe a few seamstresses.

“Can I get back to you for the store clerk?” Puck asked. “I’ll need to ask around. For a seamstress, you could pick Marley. She’s brilliant with a needle, and she’s no longer able to perform at The Sitting Duck now that she’s pregnant.”

“What?” Kurt exclaimed. “Marley’s pregnant? Congratulations, Uncle Noah!”

“Uh-oh,” Puck mumbled. “Best not mention to Jake that I let that slip, or he’ll flip out.”

“My lips are sealed,” Kurt promised. “Seriously, though. Do you think Marley would consider working for me?”

“Sure she would,” Puck said confidently. “Mind you, it would only be temporary, you know, maybe until the kid is a year or so.”

Kurt hummed in understanding. “That would be amazing, nonetheless. Ask her for me, will you? Tell her to call me if she’s interested.”

“Will do,” Puck answered, and he rang off.

That afternoon, a jubilant Marley called Kurt to tell him she’d love to sew for him, seeing as she was expecting a child and it was no longer possible for her to perform at the restaurant where she was the regular evening entertainment.

Kurt feigned surprise and asked Marley how far she was along.

“Four months and a bit, and it’s finally starting to show,” Marley gushed. “Last week, I felt the baby kick for the first time, but Jake won’t believe me. Says it’s too early.”

“I think you can start feeling the baby from fifteen to sixteen weeks onwards,” Kurt told Marley, remembering that from Rachel’s pregnancies. “But that’s early, yes.”

After some more chatting about the baby, Marley turned business-like. “So tell me what you would expect me to do. Do I have to work in your shop or can I work from home?”

“Well…” Kurt hesitated. “I’d like you to come to the shop in the mornings, so that I can to tell you what to do and give you the fabric. But apart from that, you can work from home, if you have a good sewing machine and all the other material you need. What machine do you have? And do you have a large enough table, and is the light strong enough for you to see all the details?”

They discussed the practicalities for a while, and Marley promised to be at the shop at nine AM the next morning.

In between tending to the visitors to his shop, Kurt worked feverishly to finish as many online orders as possible, so that he’d be able to get started on a few wedding dresses next. Adrienne’s would need lots of appliqué and embroidery, so Kurt wanted to cut the fabric for Marley to work on it. He’d just finished cutting the sleeves when Blaine came in.

_Huh? Blaine’s here already? But it can’t be much past noon, can it?_

His stomach disagreed firmly with that statement, and a quick glance at the clock told Kurt that it was actually past five PM.

_Wow… I totally forgot to have lunch…_

Kurt must have made that observation out loud instead of just thinking it, seeing as Blaine frowned disapprovingly and practically frog-marched Kurt out of the shop to go home and have dinner.

The next day, Blaine showed up at noon with lunch for two. Kurt, touched by Blaine’s thoughtfulness, thanked Blaine beautifully and ate without rushing, relishing in having some quality time with his boyfriend in the middle of the day.

That afternoon, Puck dropped in at Kurt’s shop to get back to him about the store clerk, and suggested the son of a client of his. “I didn’t think people could get any gayer than you, but that was before I saw that kid. Well, kid… I think he’s about 20. He goes to college here in Columbus, because his mother is the clingy type and didn’t want him to go too far. Didn’t even want him to move into a dorm. He got a car instead, at graduation, and commutes to Columbus every day, so that his mommy can make sure he eats healthy balanced meals and gets enough sleep. She didn’t want him to take on a student job, either. Makes daddy bankroll his son’s studies. I get the feeling, though, that Junior would like to escape his mother’s watchful eye once in a while. And he’s definitely into fashion. Want me to ask if he’d be interested? He lives five blocks from your house in Westerville, it’s not far.”

“Hmm,” Kurt hummed. “What makes you think the mother would agree to him being my store clerk?”

Puck grinned. “She came to your runway show, with Junior. I talked to her for a bit. Well, she did the talking, mostly. Was very impressed with your designs. Junior too. Practically drooling over them.”

“So you think she’d consider this a suitable job for her son?” Kurt asked.

“Sure, if I sell it right,” Puck shrugged.

“And you think this - what’s his name?” Kurt inquired.

“Chandler,” Puck supplied. “Chandler Kiehl.”

“You think this Chandler would be a suitable store clerk?” Kurt continued. “Polite? On time? Good salesman?”

Puck scratched his head. “I guess… That’s what a trial period is for, you know. If you hire an employee for a store, they’re on probation the first sixty days, and if they’re no good, you just get rid of them. Want me to ask if he’d be interested?”

Kurt bit his lip. “Okay. Go ahead. I need a store clerk, and I need them yesterday, so I’ll take what I can get.”

As if to illustrate his point, the shop door opened, clanging the bell and letting a cold gust of wind in, as well as two women, clearly mother and daughter, arguing so loudly and vehemently that they didn’t even notice Kurt and Puck at first.

Puck raised an eyebrow. “Well, that’s my cue to leave.”

Puck clapped Kurt on the back and loudly wished the ladies a good afternoon. They shut up and stared at Puck, who winked at them and sauntered out of the shop. The youngest woman checked Puck out thoroughly, seeming to enjoy the view, and told her mother in a carrying whisper, “That’s one of the models!”

“True,” Kurt agreed, and the women turned to him. “How can I help you this fine afternoon, ladies?”

An hour later, the duo left, and Kurt had another order form to add to his already sizeable stack.

_Thank heavens Marley’s helping out now… Still, I need to get back to work myself. I hope this Chandler will want to work for me and take over the contact with the customers. It’s so tiring to try and find a compromise between two diametrically opposed ideas. The mother wants everything as traditional and classic as possible and the daughter wants her dress to be sexy and to stand out and be one of a kind. I’m glad I was able to talk her out of that thigh split. I thought her mother was going to have a coronary when she suggested it. And it’s true, a thigh split doesn’t really say classy church wedding. Only, now I’m going to have to make an extra dress for the bride just for the wedding dance. Extra money, yes, but I’m starting to think that even with Marley’s help, I’ll never get all my orders finished in time._


	148. Meeting Chandler Kiehl

# Chapter 148: Meeting Chandler Kiehl

  _“Helicopter parents. Before I started at Pirriwee Public, I thought it was an exaggeration, this thing about parents being overly involved with their kids. I mean, my mum and dad loved me, they were, like, interested in me when I was growing up in the nineties, but they weren't, like, obsessed with me.”_ (Liane Moriarty, _Big Little Lies_ )

Wednesday morning, Kurt was bending over his work table inspecting the work Marley had done the previous day when the shop bell rang.

Kurt straightened up and sighed. “Excuse me a moment, Marley.”

Kurt stepped into his shop and was immediately accosted by the younger of the two visitors, a blonde teenager wearing trendy glasses and a slightly manic smile. “Mr Hummel! It’s such an honour to finally meet you in person. We saw your show, of course, but we didn’t get the opportunity to talk to you, and I was a little sad about that, because I so wanted to tell you your vision is BRILLIANT! I was SO impressed, I can’t tell you how much. I’m a big BIG fan of yours!”

Kurt was a little taken aback and didn’t much like having his personal space invaded by a complete stranger. He took a step back, breathed in deeply to get his temper under control - _It’s all compliments, Hummel, just a fan who gets a little too enthusiastic, so don’t you dare snap at him_ \- and tried to keep his voice as even as possible. “Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed the show.”

Kurt’s fan beamed brightly and stuck out his hand to shake, looking ecstatic when Kurt politely shook it. “I’m Chandler Kiehl, by the way! Mr Puckerman told us you needed a store clerk?”

_So this is Chandler, huh? Well, it certainly looks like he has plenty of energy and enthusiasm. I only hope he won’t overwhelm my potential clients or talk their ears off._

“It’s nice to meet you,” Kurt said. “I take it you’re interested in the position?”

The woman that accompanied Chandler now stepped forward, sizing Kurt up shrewdly. “I agreed to look in on the opportunity, since my sweet Channikins was so set on it, but I’ll admit I don’t like it. I don’t want my baby to have to deal with rude women all day, and getting back trouble and varicose veins from standing all day.”

The venom in her voice made Kurt clench and unclench his hands behind his back.

_Don’t snap. You need a store clerk. Don’t ruin this for yourself. She’s just concerned. Try and address her concerns._

“Well, ma’am, I’m actually a men’s tailor, for the most part, as you can see by the accessories showcased in my shop, so women customers should be in the minority. And I know very well how taxing standing can be for your back, so I would certainly not insist on my store clerk standing all day. When he’s not tending to a customer, he can sit down, of course. Absolutely.”

Mrs Kiehl huffed, but seemed slightly mollified. “So what would my son be required to do?”

Kurt explained that he didn’t have the time anymore to tend to the customers frequenting his shop, and that would be Chandler’s task, if he were to take on the job. Listening to what they wanted, helping them choose the most suitable option and then ringing up the sale, or taking note of their orders if it wasn’t something that could immediately be sold to them.

Mrs Kiehl hummed and nodded, and Chandler thankfully didn’t interrupt Kurt’s explanation, only piping up after Kurt was done talking. “Please, Mom? I’d really love to do this!”

Chandler paired his request with very convincing puppy dog eyes, and it was no wonder that Mrs Kiehl caved under the onslaught and told Chandler reluctantly that he could try. “But if you feel the work’s too hard for you, be honest and tell me so, and quit at once, you understand?”

Chandler nodded frantically, beaming from ear to ear.

Kurt smiled back hesitantly, still on the fence about Chandler’s exuberance. “Welcome aboard then. Shall I give you the grand tour first, and show you the ropes?”

Kurt showed Chandler around the shop, explaining which accessories went with what outfit, pointing out where the stock was to be found and finally showing him how to use the cash register. Mrs Kiehl tagged along, still frowning disapprovingly.

“I think I’ve gotten the hang of it,” Chandler exclaimed cheerfully. “So when do I start?”

“You’re welcome to start right now,” Kurt said truthfully. “I could use your help, and I’ve already drawn up a retail assistant employment contract for you, just in case.”

Kurt procured the document in question, and both Chandler and his mother read it through, Chandler cursorily, looking up time and again to smile at Kurt. Mrs Kiehl, though, read it thoroughly, and bristled when she arrived at the clause about salary deductions to cover shortfalls in stock or till takings.

Kurt, however, stood his ground and explained calmly that this was a normal way of proceeding, especially since the clothes and accessories Kurt sold were quite expensive. Chandler wouldn’t just be there in the shop to help the customers and ring up sales, but also to keep an eye on them and keep them from absconding with a bow tie they liked but didn’t want to pay for.

“But… But they could get violent if Chandler catches them stealing!” Mrs Kiehl wailed. She turned to Chandler. “Channikins, I’m not sure this is the job for you.”

Chandler lifted his chin stubbornly. “That’s what you said about every job I’ve ever applied for, Mom. I’m not a baby anymore. I CAN do this. I know I can. And I want to. This is exactly the job I want. And I’m signing this contract.”

Chandler grabbed a pen off the counter and leafed through the contract to find the place where he was supposed to sign. He did so with a flourish, and then handed the document to Kurt, who looked at Mrs Kiehl uncertainly and then accepted it and added his own signature.

Mrs Kiehl glared at Kurt and at Chandler and then threw her hands in the air. “Fine. Fine!! I wash my hands of it. Don’t come complaining to me if your job is too hard, Mister!”

Chandler, not at all alarmed by his mother’s glare and harsh words, let out a jubilant yell and threw his arms around her in celebration. “Thank you, Mom!”

Mrs Kiehl left soon after that, muttering under her breath, and Chandler took to walking around the shop, acquainting himself with every detail and praising the interior decoration and the window displays.

Kurt, remembering poor Marley, who’d been kept waiting all this time, announced that the shop was Chandler’s domain now, and hastily retreated to his workshop.

Kurt apologised profusely for keep Marley so long, but she waved it away. “You DO need a store clerk, that’s very true. You seem to have a lot more customers coming in than in Lima. I can’t remember your shop ever being so busy there.”

At noon, Blaine dropped in again, and was surprised and none too pleased that Chandler wouldn’t allow him to walk straight into Kurt’s workshop.

Kurt suppressed a giggle and quickly went to Blaine’s rescue, telling Chandler that Blaine was his boyfriend and was allowed to come through at any time. Chandler’s face fell when he heard that Kurt had a boyfriend, but a moment later, he pasted on a smile again and shook Blaine’s hand, introducing himself.

_Yes, I’m off the market, Chandler… Sorry about that! Not that you would ever have been my type, I’m afraid._


	149. Store Clerks and Other Worries

# Chapter 149: Store Clerks and Other Worries

“ _I can't help flying up on the wings of anticipation. It's as glorious as soaring through a sunset... almost pays for the thud._ ” (Lucy Maud Montgomery)

The next week, things seemed to settle for Kurt. He no longer worked non-stop from 9 ‘till 6 and then continued after dinner. He’d hired a seamstress to help him with the sewing and a shop clerk to run the shop, and both these decisions seemed to have taken a weight off his mind.

Blaine didn’t like the store clerk much, though. Chandler seemed friendly enough towards Blaine, but it felt off, somehow, and when Blaine kissed or hugged Kurt in the shop, he could feel Chandler’s eyes boring through him, and sometimes, he caught Chandler glaring at him right after.

_Jealous, are you?_

Chandler proved an excellent store clerk, though. He had a good eye for what suited the customers, Kurt told Blaine, in Chandler’s hearing, and the praise made Chandler light up like a candle.

Blaine, true to his word, stopped going to Kurt’s shop every day for lunch, and ate with his colleagues in the teacher’s lounge again. The only day he made his excuses was on Thursday, when Tina had to supervise the school yard anyway. He’d ordered Chinese during his morning break and at noon, he hurried to fetch it and to get to Kurt’s shop. What he didn’t expect was to find Kurt and Chandler munching on sandwiches together, amiably chatting, discussing the latest season of Project Runway.

Chandler noticed Blaine first, and a triumphant grin flashed across his face before he wiped it away carefully and greeted Blaine with a polite smile.

Kurt looked up and his face lit up beautifully in delight. The next thing Blaine knew, he had his boyfriend in his arms, who was kissing him as though they didn’t have an audience.

“Kurt!” Blaine gasped out.

Kurt grinned at him mischievously, and then tugged him towards the table. “Thanks for bringing Chinese. I’m just about sick of sandwiches after having them all week for lunch. Did you bring spring rolls, honey?”

Blaine nodded and sorted through the contents of the bag to hand the spring rolls to Kurt. He set the other food on the table and offered Chandler his pick, but Chandler wrinkled his nose and told Blaine he didn’t really like fastfood. “So bad for my skin.”

Chandler looked pointedly at Kurt when he made that remark, but Kurt was by now vocally enjoying his unexpected treat, and paid Chandler no attention.

Chandler huffed and made a show of gathering his sandwiches and soda and stomping off to the shop.

Once Chandler was out of earshot, Kurt winked at Blaine and whispered, “Chandler’s rather slow at taking a hint. I have to really spell it out for him.”

Blaine raised his eyebrows at that. “He’s not… making unwanted advances, is he?”

Kurt shook his head. “No. Nothing like that. He’s just… always paying me compliments. Forever gushing. And finding common likes and dislikes. And hinting heavily that we’d be perfect together. And it doesn’t really seem to register with him that I have a boyfriend, so I make a point of showing him every time I can.”

Blaine didn’t like that. He didn’t like it at all. It must have shown on his face, since Kurt’s expression turned concerned, and he gathered Blaine in his arms. “Hey… You’re not worried, are you? I promise you that Chandler means nothing to me. He could flatter me day in day out and it wouldn’t make a difference. He’s just my store clerk, and that’s all he’ll ever be to me. I only want you. You know that. Don’t fret, please.”

And then Kurt carefully locked the door of the workshop, and proceeded to show Blaine thoroughly how much he wanted him.

Blaine had to sprint back to school after that, but his heart felt much lighter, and he just smiled dopily at Tina when she tut-tutted at him reprovingly for arriving at school after the bell had rung. She rolled her eyes, but her expression softened, and she smiled back. “It’s good to see you so happy, Bling-Bling. Only, try not to cut it so close next time you have lunch with Kurt, okay?”

Blaine nodded sheepishly and headed to his class, whistling.

K & B

Another week passed, and to Blaine’s knowledge, Kurt still hadn’t contacted Seb and Elliot to discuss the crowdfunding project for the TV series. What’s more, Kurt hadn’t been in the shop on Thursday, when Blaine wanted to surprise him with lunch, and Chandler had told Blaine that Kurt had barely graced the shop with his presence all week. When Blaine brought up the subject that evening, Kurt brushed it off saying that he’d been paying business calls, and seemed rather vexed at Blaine for asking about his whereabouts, so Blaine didn’t pursue the matter. It gnawed at him, though. Was Kurt keeping secrets from him again?

That weekend, out of the blue, Kurt told Blaine that he had written lyrics for the Winding Ways theme song. Blaine had written the music down at Kurt’s request, and now those same music sheets were handed back to him completed with the lyrics.

“Want to try and sing it as a duet?” Blaine asked, and Kurt beamed like the sun.

They tried splitting up the song several ways and Blaine rewrote part of the song to create a beautiful harmony. After a whole afternoon of practising, Kurt pronounced the duet perfect, and then revealed that he’d asked Mercedes for a favour. They would be going to Los Angeles the next weekend to record the theme song in the studios of Mercedes’ label.

“And I thought maybe we could leave early on Friday, as soon as school is out?” Kurt asked hesitantly. “It’s Valentine’s Day next Friday, and I’d like to go out and have dinner with you somewhere in LA.”

Blaine started to nod, and then stopped as another thought occurred to him. “But what about the Hudmel Friday dinner, then?”

Kurt shrugged. “We can skip this once. While you were playing aliens vs dinosaurs with Toby yesterday, I told Dad not to expect us on Valentine’s Day.”

“You did?” Blaine let out a short bark of laughter. “I bet Burt rolled his eyes at that.”

Kurt winked. “Of course he did, but Carole cooed and then hinted that she wouldn’t mind a romantic evening with just the two of them herself, and Dad looked at her and just melted on the spot. And Rachel told Finn they were staying at home, too. So next Friday is all ours.”

“All ours,” Blaine echoed, and felt his lips stretch from ear to ear. He really liked the sound of that. “We’re going to LA?”

“We’re going to LA,” Kurt confirmed, his eyes twinkling.

_Okay, so if I want to come up with a Valentine’s surprise, I’ll have to do it in the morning. I bet Kurt has the rest of the day all planned out. That must be why he’s been away from the shop so often this week. I’m looking forward to next weekend. It’s going to be wonderful._

K & B

Blaine surprised Kurt on Valentine’s Day with a bouquet of velvety dark burgundy roses and a hummingbird brooch. Kurt also got breakfast in bed and a morning delight after. Then Blaine had to hurry to school, anticipation thrumming in his veins at the thought of flying to LA that afternoon.

At lunch time, he and Jeff serenaded the ladies with a medley of love songs. Tina swooned and Chelsea giggled delightedly.

“I take it you’re both looking forward to celebrating Valentine’s Day tonight,” Nora smiled. “That was lovely, boys.”

During story time, Blaine, who was still in a romantic mood, told his class the story of the ordinary princess, and then made them illustrate the story.

And then the bell rang, and a second later, there was a knock on the door of Blaine’s classroom, and Kurt came in.

The children looked at him curiously, and Robby piped up, “Is Mr Hummel still your boyfriend, Mr A?”

Blaine grinned widely and told Robby that yes, Mr Hummel was still very much Blaine’s boyfriend, and proved it by kissing Kurt then and there. That led to some tittering and whispering among his young charges.

The children waved Blaine goodbye and filed out of the classroom, some of them wishing Blaine a nice weekend.

Blaine waved back, a broad grin still on his face.

_Oh, it’s sure to be…_


	150. Valentine's Day in LA

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for you, my readers and reviewers. Your support means the world to me, so thanks a million!

# Chapter 150: Valentine’s Day in LA

 _“Her face lit up; illuminated by the enlightenment of recognition and the innocence of surprise.”_ (Joss Sheldon, _The Little Voice_ )

Kurt had already packed for the both of them, he told Blaine as they ran to Kurt’s car, and Mercedes would come pick them up at LAX airport. “We’re staying at Mercedes and Sam’s place. Their house is huge, so we’ll have our privacy.”

Blaine nodded, beaming at the thought of seeing their friends again.

When they were on the plane, Kurt asked Blaine if he’d mind recording the song today, as soon as they arrived. Apparently, that was the only time slot Mercedes had been able to score for them at the studios. Kurt sounded very apologetic about it, but Blaine laughed and assured him it was no problem. “As long as I’m with you, I don’t care what’s on the programme today. And anyway, there’s nothing more romantic than singing a duet with you.”

Kurt looked at Blaine from under his lashes and then drew him in for a kiss.

As promised, Mercedes stood there waiting for them when they arrived at LAX. Kurt let go of Blaine’s hand to run to her and hug her. Blaine followed a bit more sedately, and waited for his turn to greet Mercedes.

“It’s good to see you again, boo,” Mercedes crooned. “You look tired, though. Do I need to tell that boyfriend of yours to let you sleep at night?”

Kurt stepped back from the hug and rolled his eyes. “Don’t you start on me too, ‘Cedes. And no, it’s not Blaine’s fault if I look tired. Blaine is forever telling me I’m working too hard and ordering me to eat more and sleep more.”

“Good!” Mercedes nodded decidedly. “You need someone to look after you, boo, or else you’ll burn up before you’re thirty. And don’t you roll your eyes at me again, you know it’s true, Mr Midnight Oil.”

Kurt huffed but didn’t deny the accusation. Blaine stepped forward to hug Mercedes as well. “Thank you so much for opening your home to us, and for helping us record the song. I really appreciate it.”

Mercedes smiled. “You’re very welcome. Come on, I’ll drive you to the studios.”

At the studios, Blaine was surprised to see that Mercedes had booked an entire orchestra for the song. She laughed at his flabbergasted expression. “You can’t record that song a capella, now can you? You need accompaniment. I’m sure you have an arrangement in mind already.”

Blaine shrugged modestly. It was true. He’d written a strings and harp accompaniment for the theme song. He retrieved the music sheets from his breast pocket and mused on how he could expand that arrangement to use the whole orchestra.

“Give me a minute to make some changes?” Blaine pleaded, and sat down at the producer’s table with the sheets, scratching out passages and scribbling furiously.

When he was satisfied with the result, he handed the music sheets to the conductor of the orchestra. “Would this do?”

The conductor’s eyes flew over the pages, humming the melody as he went along, and nodding approvingly when he came to the end. “This will work just fine. Paul, could you please run to the photocopier and make us copies?”

The accompaniment was recorded first, and after that, it was Blaine and Kurt’s turn. Their voices soared clear and true, and melded together beautifully, and it took only a few takes for the producer to nod and smile and pronounce it a wrap.

They thanked him and the orchestra and got back into Mercedes’ car. Blaine fully expected Mercedes to drive them to her house and for them to have dinner together there, now that they’d had to record the song first thing. Surely Kurt wouldn’t want to be seen in a fancy restaurant in a slightly wrinkled travel outfit, however gorgeous it was?

But when Mercedes stopped the car, it was in front of a classy hotel, and a valet accepted her keys to go park her car.

“Well, boo, this is where we split up,” Mercedes announced. “Sam’s already in the restaurant, and I’m sure he’s been ready to eat for a while. Come and find me when you’re done eating and flirting and playing footsie under the table, you two lovebirds.”

Mercedes winked at them and click-clacked off, drawing plenty of admiring glances.

“Shall we?” asked Kurt, and Blaine beamed and followed Kurt, who held the door open for him like a true gentleman.

Inside, the décor was luscious, and the other patrons of the restaurant were dressed much more smartly than Blaine and even Kurt, but Kurt stepped to their reserved table with the utmost confidence.

The waiter handed them both a menu, and offered Kurt the wine list with a flirty smile. Kurt didn’t seem to notice, burying his nose in the menu, and telling Blaine that he’d been there before and how impressed he had been with the dishes he’d been served. “They only work with seasonal products, and they have this very creative way of combining them. You’ll see. It won’t only taste delicious, it will also look perfectly amazing. The kind of food you want to take a picture of.”

Blaine made an effort to smile. This felt a little too much like the type of restaurant his father liked to frequent. Pretentious and snobby. Serving little blobs of this and a thin rectangle of that. The waiter pompously explaining what was on your plate, because it had been so thoroughly altered that you couldn’t possibly recognise it yourself.

“Are you okay?” Kurt asked solicitously, frowning.

Blaine nodded. “I’m fine. I was just reminded of dinners with my parents at other posh restaurants. My mother drilled me on how to behave and what fork to use for what, but I always felt very out of place nonetheless. Like everyone was looking down their nose at me.”

Kurt’s face fell. “You don’t like the restaurant?”

Blaine took Kurt’s hand. “Of course I do. I’m sorry, love. I shouldn’t have mentioned my family. You chose well. I’m sure this is one of LA’s best restaurants, and we’ve got a splendid view, and I’m truly going to enjoy having dinner with you.”

Kurt smiled at him hesitantly, and Blaine returned the smile warmly, tamping down his negative feelings and focussing on his beautiful boyfriend.

The food they ordered was less like abstract art than Blaine had feared, and he had to agree with Kurt that it was scrumptious. Kurt had ordered a glass of champagne for the both of them, and Blaine felt slightly light-headed in spite of all the courses they were eating. It made his tongue rather loose, and before he knew it, Blaine was telling Kurt that he didn’t like Chandler and especially didn’t like how Chandler tried to pry Kurt away from Blaine.

Kurt giggled, but then grew serious again. “Sweetie, we’ve discussed this before. He’s a good store clerk, but I will never see him as anything more than my employee. If his behaviour starts to bother me, I’ll dismiss him. Now, do you still have room for dessert?”

They both had _crème brûlée_ for dessert, Kurt moaning happily when he tasted the first spoonful of the creamy treat. A cup of coffee followed, served with homemade chocolates imprinted with the restaurant’s logo.

Kurt signalled for the check and insisted on paying, ignoring Blaine’s protests.

“Let’s go find Sam and Mercedes before I fall asleep in my seat from eating so much,” Kurt groaned, passing a hand over his stomach.

Blaine entwined his fingers with Kurt’s and together, they sought out their friends.


	151. Escaping Chandler

# Chapter 151: Escaping Chandler

 _“There are two races on earth. Those who need others, who are distracted, occupied and refreshed by others, who are worried, exhausted and unnerved by solitude as by the ascension of a terrible glacier or the crossing of a desert; and those, on the other hand, who are wearied, bored, embarrassed, utterly fatigued by others, while isolation calms them, and the detachment and imaginative activity of their minds bathes them in peace.”_ (Guy de Maupassant, _88 Short Stories_ )

Chandler settled into his duties quickly and easily. He proved a natural at picking the right accessories for Kurt’s customers, matching colours and styles flawlessly. Kurt had been slightly afraid that Chandler might scare away potential buyers by being too exuberant, but clearly, that over-the-top breathless enthusiasm was reserved for Kurt only. Chandler’s attitude towards the customers was just what it ought to be: helpful, but not overly so, knowledgeable and encouraging. Kurt caught himself nodding approvingly as Chandler helped a man pick out a bow tie and subtly steered him towards the right choice.

Yes, as an employee, Chandler was certainly an excellent find of Puck’s. Only … His fanboy worship of Kurt was another matter entirely. Chandler was determined to shower Kurt with praise and smiles. Whenever it was just them in the shop, Chandler followed Kurt around like a puppy, prattling on a mile a minute, pronouncing everything about Kurt perfection and generally driving Kurt, who was an introvert and needed time to himself every now and then, up the wall.

With a talkative shadow always near, Kurt found it impossible to concentrate on his designs. He relished the hours that Chandler was at school, and when Chandler was in the shop, Kurt resigned himself to doing the creative work at home, in the evening, and choosing to sew instead, and cut the fabric for the project he’d assign Marley next.

While he sewed, he plotted as to how he could spend as little time in the shop as possible, and he grinned when he realised that Valentine’s Day was just around the corner.

_Time to contact a few people for Blaine’s surprise…_

Kurt was relieved when the weekend rolled around and he was Chandler-free for a glorious two days. He happily sketched designs in the afternoons and the evenings, and realised that there was really no need for him to be in the shop all the time anymore. Chandler could handle it, and only needed minimal supervision.

Accordingly, when Blaine kissed him goodbye before going to school on Monday morning, Kurt only went to the shop to hand Marley the fabric for her next assignment and to instruct Chandler to run the shop by himself. “You have class this afternoon, don’t you? I’ll come and relieve you of your duties at noon.”

Chandler nodded. “My class will be out at three, so I’ll be back by 3.30 PM.”

“Brilliant,” Kurt smiled. Chandler looked devastated that Kurt wouldn’t be around, but promised to run the shop to the best of his ability.

“You’ll do fine,” Kurt assured him. “You’re a natural.”

Chandler beamed at the praise.

Kurt hurried out of the shop and back to Blaine’s apartment, where, unhindered by Chandler, he quickly lost himself in designing and then writing, and he was so much in the zone that he yelped in fright when his phone alarm went off, reminding him to go to the shop. Kurt asked Chandler how the day had gone so far and thanked him for his help.

Chandler left with one last regretful look at Kurt. With a sigh of satisfaction, Kurt started up his laptop for a Skype call that would last for hours. Thankfully, the shop didn’t draw many customers that afternoon. When Chandler got back from school, Kurt closed the Skype application, switched off his laptop and slid it back into its case, and resigned himself to a few more hours of chattering.

The new arrangement worked really well for Kurt. Yes, it required a great deal of trust to leave the shop to Chandler for hours on end, but Kurt had no qualms in delegating that task to his employee. He’d seen enough to know that Chandler was a good shop assistant, with an excellent sales pitch, and he trusted Chandler not to steal from the cash register.

Kurt found out that Chandler’s company was actually quite enjoyable, in small doses. As Chandler never hesitated to point out, they had a lot in common, and whenever Chandler had morning classes, they ate their sandwiches together at noon and never lacked conversation topics.

On one such occasion, Kurt was explaining why he thought the judges had sent the wrong designer home in the latest episode of Project Runway when Chandler looked up and said, “Hey Blaine.”

Blaine stood there looking rather forlorn with his bag of Chinese take-out, his shoulders and the corners of his mouth drooping, seeming unsure of his welcome now that Kurt was having lunch with his employee. Kurt, however, was overjoyed to see his boyfriend, genuinely surprised this time since Blaine hadn’t been around for lunch at all that week, and made sure to show Blaine so by kissing him passionately, paying no heed to Chandler.

Blaine kissed him back eagerly, and looked a great deal happier afterwards, handing Kurt the spring rolls and even offering Chandler some of the food. Chandler made a face and declined, though, stalking off to finish his lunch at the shop counter.

Kurt watched him go, shaking his head, and then told Blaine that Chandler was angling to replace Blaine as Kurt’s boyfriend, and that he needed to be shown plainly that Kurt was very much taken.

Blaine’s face fell, and Kurt hastened to reassure him that he had nothing to worry about, reinforcing the message with a physical demonstration of how much he wanted Blaine and only Blaine.

A little later, Blaine stumbled out of the workshop with a dazed but happy expression, giving Kurt a last lingering kiss at the shop door and then hurrying away. Kurt watched him go, a soft smile playing about his lips.

_I love you so much…_


	152. The Bestest Boyfriend Ever

# Chapter 152: The Bestest Boyfriend Ever

“ _To the romantic soul, the rituals of Valentine's Day echo every day of the year._ ” (Richelle E. Goodrich, _Making Wishes_ )

Kurt’s Valentine’s plans were coming together nicely. It was a hassle organising and overseeing everything from a distance, and he often found himself forgetting to go to the shop at all the next week. The first time that happened, he got a concerned phonecall from Chandler, and hurried to the shop shame-faced, apologising to Chandler for keeping him waiting. He also gave Chandler his spare key to the shop, so that Chandler could open it himself, and lock it when he had to get to school. Kurt told his employee that he might be unavailable quite often that week, as he had lots of business calls to make. Chandler’s face fell, and he nodded mutely, moving to sit behind the counter.

Kurt felt a twinge of guilt at leaving his young employee to run the shop on his own for such long periods, but he really couldn’t spare the time. If Kurt and his friends wanted Blaine’s surprise to be ready by the fourteenth of February, they had a lot more work to do. So work they did, and Kurt threw himself into the project and forgot about everything else.

On Thursday evening, though, Blaine asked where Kurt had been at noon. “I came to have lunch with you at the shop, and you weren’t there.”

Kurt’s stomach dropped.

_Oh, you idiot! You should have thought of that! What’s the use of planning a wonderful Valentine’s weekend for Blaine when you neglect him the rest of the time?_

Kurt felt ashamed and angry with himself, and therefore gave Blaine a more snappish answer than he’d intended. Blaine looked as though Kurt had slapped him, and was silent for the rest of the evening. His kicked puppy expression made Kurt feel even worse.

_Be sure to make it up to him this weekend, Hummel! You can start by rehearsing the Winding Ways theme song with him, now that you’ve finished writing the lyrics for it._

Accordingly, on Saturday, Kurt showed Blaine the lyrics for the song, and Blaine offered to rewrite the music as a duet. They had fun trying it out in various ways, and then decided on the best version and practised it.

Kurt then revealed the next part of his plans, which consisted of taking Blaine to LA the next weekend and recording the theme song with him in the studios of Mercedes’ label.

Kurt expected Blaine to ask why they had to go all the way to LA for that, but Blaine never questioned it, beaming when Kurt told him he’d like to take Blaine out for dinner in LA that Friday, seeing as it was Valentine’s Day, and only asking if it would be all right for them to skip the Hudmel Friday dinner.

Kurt quickly reassured him on that count, and relished in Blaine’s joy.

K & B

Valentine’s Day dawned, and Kurt woke up to a delicious smell coming from the kitchen. Kurt sniffed appreciatively and buried himself further under the covers, certain that Blaine would prefer to bring him breakfast in bed.

Kurt was right. He peeked through his lashes when Blaine came in with the breakfast tray and saw Blaine’s face light up happily at the discovery that Kurt was still asleep.

Kurt tried to keep his breathing as even as possible, so as not to give away that he was only pretending to be asleep.

Blaine seemed to notice nothing amiss. He set down the tray on his nightstand and slipped back into bed with Kurt, nuzzling Kurt’s right ear and then leaving a trail of feather-light little pecks from his ear to his collarbone. It wasn’t until Blaine started played with Kurt’s insanely sensitive nipples that Kurt sighed, arching into it, and then opened his eyes lazily.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Blaine smiled, kissing Kurt square on the lips without paying any attention to morning breath, and then hopping out of bed to go fetch the breakfast tray and deposit it on Kurt’s lap.

Kurt sat up slowly and blinked drowsily. On the tray, he saw two plates of waffles, generously covered in whipped cream and with a few heart-shaped halved strawberries on top. There was freshly squeezed orange juice, too, whimsically decorated with a cocktail umbrella and another strawberry over the rim of the glass, and fancy coffee from Blaine’s state-of-the-art machine, and Kurt smiled when he saw that Blaine had managed to swirl the foam into a heart shape.

He looked up at Blaine to thank him, but his boyfriend had disappeared from the bedroom. Before Kurt could so much as frown, though, Blaine bounded back into the room, grinning from ear to ear and holding his hands behind his back.

“Who’s the bestest boyfriend ever?” Blaine sing-songed.

Kurt rolled his eyes at his boyfriend’s antics, but answered as prompted. “You are the best boyfriend ever!”

“Hmm, that could have sounded a little more enthusiastic,” Blaine mock-frowned. “I don’t know if you deserve your presents now.”

Kurt’s ears perked up when he heard the word “presents”. “Presents? As in, plural? I get more than one? Gimme, gimme, gimme, please! You’re the bestest boyfriend there ever was!”

Kurt paired his pleading with his best puppy dog eyes and his head tilted to the side beseechingly.

Blaine grinned impossibly wider, and revealed the first present: a beautiful bouquet of roses.

Kurt accepted them with a tremulous smile and a heartfelt kiss. “They’re perfect. So beautiful. Thank you, sweetie. I love them. And I love you too.”

Now Blaine conjured up the other present, which was a great deal smaller and looked like it contained a tiny jewellery gift box. Kurt felt his heart accelerate tenfold and his hands grew a little clammy.

_Surely, this isn’t an engagement ring, is it? I don’t think we’re quite at that stage yet…_

Kurt opened the present, his fingers trembling to the point that they became clumsy and uncooperating, and opened the box. It wasn’t a ring. It was a brooch in the form of a hummingbird. Again, a thoughtful and beautiful gift. Why then did Kurt feel a little disappointed?

_Of course it’s not a ring. I should learn not to jump to conclusions. And it’s way too early for that anyway._

Kurt took the brooch out of the box and cradled it in his hand carefully, examining it from every angle. “This is gorgeous! Wherever did you find it?”

Blaine tapped his nose. “Nuh-uh. Not going to reveal all my secrets. Now eat your breakfast, love, before the waffles are stone-cold.”

They both tucked in, and fooled around in bed for a while, and then it was time for Blaine to go to school. Kurt pouted. “I want you to myself all day.”

Blaine laughed. “This afternoon, love. As of three o’clock, I’m all yours.”

Kurt drew him in for another kiss before he left. “I’ll come and fetch you at school, so that we don’t lose any time.”

Kurt spent his morning packing overnight bags for both him and Blaine and Skyping to check that his plans had been carried out exactly as he had asked. At noon, he dropped in at the shop to tell Chandler, who was already bundled up in his coat and scarve and gloves and was just about to lock up the shop, that he’d be leaving for LA that afternoon. “You have class until three, right? Don’t bother coming back after. Go home early instead and enjoy your weekend! Thanks, Chandler!”

Chandler, looking glum, said, “You’re leaving?”

“Oh, just for the weekend,” Kurt answered. “For Valentine’s, you know. I have a few surprises in store for Blaine, and I hope he’ll love them.”

Chandler’s scowl deepened, and it visibly cost him quite an effort to say, “Well, have a good time in LA!”

Kurt smiled. “Thank you, I’m sure we will.”

Chandler smiled back readily, and his eyes fell on Kurt’s new brooch. “That brooch is exquisite.”

“Blaine gave it to me this morning,” Kurt boasted.

That wiped the smile of Chandler’s face. He put the key to the shop in his purse and walked away after a perfunctory “Have a nice weekend!”

“You too! See you on Monday!”


	153. The Ellen Show

# Chapter 153: The Ellen Show

“ _She came out of her reverie with a deep sigh and looked at him with a dreamy gaze of a soul that had been wandering afar, star-led._ ” (L.M. Montgomery, _Anne of Green Gables_ )

Kurt led Blaine through the restaurant, but when they finally stopped at a table, it wasn’t Sam and Mercedes sitting there, but two other familiar faces.

“Sebastian! Elliot!” Blaine exclaimed, and they laughed and stood up to give them a bear hug apiece.

“What are you doing here in LA?” Blaine asked curiously.

“We’re here to promote our concert tour,” Elliot explained. “We’re on The Ellen Show tonight. We’re heading there now. Want to come along? They can always use more people for the live audience.”

Blaine nodded happily, and then turned to Kurt. “Is that okay, love, or did you have something else in mind?”

Kurt beamed at him. “No, no, that’s fine. I’d love to go.”

They left the restaurant and a valet brought Seb’s rental car around. Kurt raised his eyebrows. “Seriously, Seb? Where did you find an Aston Martin rental car? Who do you think you are, James Bond?”

Sebastian flashed Kurt a smile. “Like you’re not dying to give her a spin… Go on, admit it, and I’ll let you drive to the studios.”

Kurt bit his lip, eyeing the car hungrily. “You’re right. I’d love to try her out.”

Sebastian grinned and tossed Kurt the keys. They all got in, and Kurt drove to the studios, his face a study of bliss.

At the studios, they split up. Sebastian and Elliot went to hair and make-up, whereas Kurt and Blaine were herded towards the rest of the live audience.

Once they were seated, Blaine struck up a conversation with the woman sitting next to him, who confessed she had a huge celebrity crush on Elliot. “I hope Ellen can persuade him to sing a song. I love hearing him sing live.”

“He’s really something, isn’t he?” Blaine agreed.

Next to him, he felt Kurt fidget, squirming in his seat and his long fingers plucking at his hummingbird brooch.

Blaine frowned. “Are you okay, love?”

Kurt nodded. “Just… This brings back so many memories.”

Blaine took Kurt’s hand and squeezed it comfortingly. Kurt visibly relaxed, and laid his head on Blaine’s shoulder. Next to him, Elliot’s big fan cooed. “Oh, you guys are so adorable. How long have you been together?”

“Since the fourth of November,” Blaine answered, and kissed the top of Kurt’s head.

The woman was about to ask another question when more lights flashed on overhead, and a man holding a clipboard announced that the filming of the show was about to begin, and gave them applauding instructions. Apparently, they weren’t allowed to clap their hands whenever they wanted. They had to wait for a signal, and then give it their all.

The man ran through a demonstration, and Blaine dutifully clapped as instructed. Kurt didn’t, and rolled his eyes at his boyfriend when Blaine looked at him and gently nudged him. “I’m not a first-timer. I know how this works.”

And then Ellen came into the room, and thanked them all for coming, and Blaine felt his lips stretch from ear to ear.

_This is so cool! I wonder if I could meet Ellen after the show and ask her for an autograph._

Ellen announced Elliot, and he strolled in, grinning and waving. He hugged Ellen and then sat down and waited for Ellen to start the interview.

“Elliot!” Ellen enthused. “So great to see you again!”

Elliot beamed at her. “I’m thrilled I get to be on your show again. I’m a big fan!”

The crowd clapped long and hard at that, and it took a while before Ellen could continue.

“So I hear your new concert tour is nearly sold out already?” Ellen asked.

Elliot nodded. “Yes, yes, we’re thinking of adding more concert dates and venues.”

That led to loud cheering from the audience again.

Ellen leant forward a bit, her smile growing. “We, you say?”

Elliot shrugged, playing it coy. “Well, my team and I.”

Ellen hummed. “So these rumours of you sharing the stage with another star are false, then?”

“There might be some truth to that,” Elliot admitted.

“So who are you sharing the spotlight with?” Ellen continued.

“I brought him with me tonight,” Elliot grinned. “Can I announce him? Pretty please? I’ve always wanted to do that!”

Ellen laughed. “Sure, knock yourself out!”

“All right then. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you: the one and only Sebastian Smythe!” Elliot announced.

Sebastian came out, pretending that the crowd’s enthusiasm made him shy, and really hamming it up, hiding behind Elliot’s shoulder.

Ellen laughed again. “Sebastian, long time no see!”

Sebastian shot her a winning smile and went to hug her. “So glad to be back!”

When they were all sitting down again, Ellen asked, “So tell me, Elliot. You two are touring together now. How did that come about?”

“Well…” Elliot paused for a moment. “We met just after Christmas. A friend introduced us to each other, and we hit it off spectacularly. And Bas here was looking for a new challenge, and I needed a supporting act for my tour, seeing as my other options had fallen through, so I asked Bas if he was game, and he was.”

Ellen now turned to Sebastian. “You have a successful concert tour of your own under your belt. Doesn’t it feel like a step back to be someone else’s supporting act now?”

Sebastian considered that. “No, not really. I loved the tour I did two years ago, but the songs weren’t my own, and that bugged me. They were great, don’t get me wrong, and I had a blast singing them, but in the end, it didn’t feel much like me. My first album was poppy and fun and upbeat, but there was no depth to it. So for my second album, I’m doing something radically different. This time around, all the songs will be composed and written by me, and they’ll be very personal, each of them telling a story taken from my life, and hopefully showing how much I’ve grown in the meantime. So the new album will have a very different vibe, and in a way I feel like I’m starting all over from the very beginning, and I’m very glad Elliot’s taken me under his wing.”

“Right,” Ellen drawled. “Now I’m intrigued. I want to hear what your new songs sound like.”

Ellen turned to the audience. “Don’t you? Shall I ask Sebastian to sing for us?”

There was a roar of approval from the crowd.

Ellen smiled broadly. “Well, it seems like I’m not the only one who’s curious. Will you please sing for us?”

Elliot disappeared for a moment and came back with a guitar, which he handed to Sebastian with a wink.

“Okay then…” Sebastian capitulated, and he started strumming. Blaine recognised the melody of the love song Sebastian had played for them in New York.

Sebastian looked up and addressed the audience. “So, seeing as it’s Valentine’s Day today, here’s a little love song from me to you.”

Sebastian played and sang beautifully, and the crowd went so silent you could hear a pin drop, and afterwards applauded and cheered like maniacs. Next to him, Kurt sniffed, and Blaine saw a tear trickle over his cheek. He handed Kurt his handkerchief, and Kurt smiled at him through his tears, and whispered, “This song gets to me every time.”

“I know,” Blaine smiled, and he kissed Kurt’s cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Kurt answered. “Now shush, I want to hear what they’re saying.”

“That was absolutely beautiful,” Ellen gushed. “So is there a special someone you’d like to dedicate this to?”

Sebastian smiled and looked at Elliot, threading his fingers through Elliot’s. “I guess.”

“Ooooh…” Ellen cooed excitedly. “You two are an item, then?”

“We are,” Sebastian confirmed. “It’s very recent. As Elliot told you, we only met a few days after Christmas, and we clicked right away. We have so much in common.”

“Such as?” Ellen prompted.

“Well, music, for one thing. We’re both passionate about music. We also have pretty much the same taste in literature, and that’s what sparked the next project we have in mind.”

“Do tell,” Ellen encouraged Sebastian.

“Are you familiar with Mark Easterbrook?” Sebastian asked her. “He’s a thriller writer.”

Ellen nodded. “Yes… A bit of an enigma, isn’t he? No author pictures on his books, no book signings, no interviews. His thrillers are amazing, though.”

“They are,” Sebastian agreed. “Elliot and I both love those books. And seeing as we happen to know the author” - Sebastian paused here for a moment so that the audience could react - “who’s a friend of ours, we got to read his new novel in advance.”

“Winding Ways?” Ellen asked. “It’s coming out tomorrow and you’ve already read it? How is that fair? That is so not fair!”

“We’ve read it, yes,” Sebastian grinned. “Multiple times, even. And we liked it so much that we want to turn it into a television series. So we’re going to start up a crowdfunding project to get enough money to film a pilot, and then hopefully, a television network will pick it up.”

The audience gasped at that news and murmured excitedly among themselves.

“And to give you an idea of what we have in mind, we made a teaser trailer,” Elliot announced proudly.

Now Blaine gasped, too, and looked at Kurt, who grinned at him and whispered, “Surprise!”

Blaine couldn’t help but bounce a bit in excitement and he watched the big screen behind Ellen and her guests avidly. And then the teaser trailer started, and he heard very familiar music.

“The theme song,” Blaine breathed. “Already?”

“That’s why we did the recording first,” Kurt whispered. “They needed time to add the music score to the trailer.”

Blaine gaped at his boyfriend for a second and then glued his eyes back to the screen. The trailer presented Devon Bergensen and listed a few of his quirks and habits in a funny way that had everyone laughing. Then they showed Devon trying to catch Charles, who was playing a cat and mouse game with him. It ended with Charles slinking away in the dark, and then panned back to show a close-up of Devon, who looked pensive and intrigued.

The screen went dark, and then a message showed. “If you want to support this venture, go to [www.kickstarter.com/windingways](http://www.kickstarter.com/windingways). Looking forward to hearing from you!”

Blaine sat in a happy daze until Kurt elbowed him. “So what did you think?”

Blaine grinned widely and whispered to Kurt, “I love it. Wow! How did you guys manage this in so little time?”

“Knowing the right people helps,” Kurt admitted. “And I did a lot of Skyping the past few weeks, to coordinate the whole project from a distance.”

“It’s amazing,” Blaine sighed. “And it’s a wonderful surprise. Thank you so much!”


	154. Put On The Spot

# Chapter 154: Put On The Spot

“ _Being frightened of things is worse than the things themselves._ ” (L.M. Montgomery, _Rainbow Valley_ )

Ellen seemed to like the teaser trailer just as much as Blaine did, and she gushed about it at length.

“You didn’t sing the theme song, though,” she mused. “Those voices are lovely, but they’re not yours.”

Elliot shook his head. “No, that’s Mark Easterbrook himself, and his boyfriend, who wrote the music.”

“So are you ever going to tell us who’s behind the pen name Mark Easterbrook?” Ellen asked. “Now that I know he’s a friend of yours, I’m even more curious.”

Elliot hesitated, looking uncomfortable. “I’m not sure I should. There’s a reason why he’s never revealed his true identity, you know.”

“He’s never liked fame much,” Sebastian added. “Had a bad experience years ago, with paparazzi severely violating his privacy, and he’s never gotten over that.”

“If we tell you his name, by tomorrow, the press and the fans will be all over him,” Elliot continued. “They’ll all want a piece of him. And he wouldn’t like that. Not one bit.”

Blaine felt Kurt squeeze his hand painfully, and felt a wave of protectiveness slam through him. He wanted to scoop Kurt up and take him away, far from Ellen’s curiosity and probing.

Kurt, however, had other plans. Blaine felt his boyfriend straighten up. His chin went up, too, and all of a sudden, he radiated determination.

Kurt gently disentangled his fingers from Blaine’s and stood up. “It’s okay.”

Kurt’s voice rang through the silent room, and the audience turned to look at him in surprise. Kurt ignored them and stepped towards the dais where Ellen and her guests were sitting.

“Kurt…” Sebastian breathed. “You didn’t have to…”

Kurt silenced him with a look. “Yes, I did.”

Kurt turned to Ellen and smiled. “Hello, Ellen. You probably don’t remember me, but I’ve been on your show before. Kurt Hummel. I used to be on “A Tree Called Life”. I played Benjamin.”

Ellen was stunned speechless for a moment, clearly taken aback by this unforeseen turn of events. Then she said, “Kurt… Yes, now I remember. Wow. How you’ve grown. ”

Kurt laughed. “I have. I think I was fourteen last time I was on your show. Still struggling with baby fat and all.”

Ellen looked him up and down. “Well, there’s certainly none of that left now. You look like a super model. Are you?”

Kurt shook his head, his eyes crinkling in amusement. “No, I’m not, but thanks for the compliment.”

“So you’re the mystery man behind Mark Easterbrook, huh?” Ellen asked.

“Yep, that’s me,” Kurt confirmed, his face open and relaxed, easily settling into the role of interviewee.

“And exactly why didn’t you want people to know that you were behind the books?” Ellen wanted to know.

Kurt frowned and bit his lip, seeming to think of the best answer to give. “Well, for one thing, I was very young when my first book was published. Only seventeen. And I didn’t want people to dismiss my novel because I was too young, in their eyes, to be a writer. Also, I was very wary of the negative consequences of fame.”

Ellen looked sceptical. “It’s not like you weren’t used to fame. You were such a well-known television face for years, and you dealt with it just fine. Until you totally disappeared, that is. Why did you drop off the face of the earth all of a sudden?”

Blaine balled his hands into fists and gritted his teeth, hating how there was nothing he could do at the moment to help Kurt or make him feel better. As much as Blaine had always loved Ellen and her show, right at the moment he hated her for doing this to his boyfriend.

_Stop putting Kurt on the spot! He doesn’t want to talk about this! Leave him alone!_

Outwardly, Kurt looked perfectly calm and unruffled, but Blaine saw how tense his shoulders were, and how his smile seemed a little forced.

Kurt sighed. “I left the cast of “A Tree Called Life” just after my sixteenth birthday, because I was severely shaken by paparazzi crashing my sweet sixteen party. I’m sure you remember. They somehow got into my uncle’s garden and took pictures of us skinny-dipping in the pool, and then the next day, we were in all the tabloids, and portrayed as drunks and drug addicts with loose morals. That was the very first time I saw the ugly side of fame, and it really shocked me to my core. So I ran and I hid. I’m not proud of it, but that’s what I did. I ran back to the small Midwestern town I came from, and when I became a published author, I decided to use a pen name and to make sure no-one could trace the books back to me. I became paranoid about not being recognised.”

Ellen hummed. “But now you’re coming out of hiding. Why?”

Kurt’s smile was genuine this time. “I decided I’ve let my life be ruled by my fears long enough.”

The crowd around Blaine applauded, nothing but understanding and admiration on their faces, and Blaine breathed a bit more easily.

“If I’m not mistaken, there’s going to be a love story in that TV series based on your new book,” Ellen continued. “That’s a first!”

“True,” Kurt smiled. “I always loved that in Agatha Christie’s novels, so I thought I’d try it in one of my own stories.”

“Why only now? This is your eighteenth book already!”

Kurt blushed. “Well… I was inspired by real life events.”

Ellen leaned forward a little. “Yes?”

Both Kurt’s blush and his smile deepened. “I fell in love. And that sparked a story idea and a set of new characters, and it only made sense for them to fall in love as well.”

The woman next to Blaine awww’ed, along with several other audience members.

“So did you bring along the love of your life?” Ellen asked. “I hear he’s the one who composed the beautiful theme song you used for the trailer.”

Kurt grinned. “He is, yes. His name is Blaine Anderson, and he’s very talented. And I brought him with me tonight, yes. The teaser trailer was my Valentine’s gift for him. Blaine’s my biggest fan, and he’s been very vocal about wanting a TV series based on my books, so Seb and El and I decided to film a trailer as a surprise for him.”

The crowd cooed again.

“Blaine,” Ellen said, and Kurt nodded.

“Blaine, could you please come up here as well?” Ellen asked, addressing the crowd, and the woman next to Blaine beamed at him and whispered “Go!”

Blaine, a bit overwhelmed by this turn of events, got up slowly, his cheeks flushing when he felt everyone looking at him. He only relaxed again, marginally, when he was seated next to Kurt, who reached for his hand straightaway.

“Hello, Blaine!” Ellen smiled. “So I hear you’re quite musical?”

“I love music, yes,” Blaine answered. “And I started writing songs when I was in my teens.”

“Child prodigies, the both of you,” Ellen laughed. “So how did you meet?”

Blaine squeezed Kurt’s hand, and they shared a slow, sweet smile. “At a book fair, actually.”


	155. Operation Valentine's Surprise

# Chapter 155: Operation Valentine’s Surprise

“ _He pulled me back in, and I rested my head on his broad shoulder. I knew Maxon would keep his promises._ ” (Kiera Cass, _The Selection_ )

Kurt parked his car in front of the school and hurried inside with a spring in his step.

He had timed it well. It didn’t take more than five minutes for the bell to ring.

Kurt, impatient to see Blaine and to whisk him away for the weekend, knocked at the door of his classroom and entered.

Blaine’s face lit up when he saw Kurt, and he proudly confirmed to one of the children that Kurt was still his boyfriend, kissing Kurt right in front of his third-graders, who giggled.

Five minutes later, they were hurrying to Kurt’s car. Kurt gradually filled Blaine in on the plans, first telling him they would be staying at Mercedes’ house, and then, when they were on the plane, revealing that they would record the Winding Ways theme song first and foremost. Kurt looked at Blaine rather apprehensively when he told him that, sure that Blaine had been expecting a more leisurely romantic evening than to be rushed here, there and everywhere, but Blaine seemed to take it in stride, assuring Kurt that he was up for anything as long as he got to spend the rest of the day with Kurt.

That was such a perfect answer that Kurt couldn’t help but kiss his boyfriend rapturously.

Mercedes, true to her word, came to fetch them at the airport and drove them to the studios. One look at Kurt was enough to set her off lecturing Kurt about not working too hard, seeing as he looked tired, apparently.

Kurt had asked Mercedes to book an orchestra for the song, if at all possible, and he was pleased to see that she had managed it. Blaine clearly hadn’t been expecting anything of this magnitude, and busied himself modifying the original arrangement for the song.

It sounded lovely when the orchestra played it. Haunting in some places, triumphant in others, but above all else catchy and memorable. Blaine and Kurt sang the vocals, holding hands and staring into each other’s eyes, because really, who needed sheet music when singing straight from the heart?

After just a few tries, the producer gave them a double thumbs up and sent them on their way.

Next on the programme was a romantic dinner at Kurt’s favourite restaurant in LA. Mercedes drove them there, and pretended that they were going to meet up later.

_Yes, much later… After the Ellen Show, at your house, sweetie… Thanks for all your help!_

It wasn’t until they were seated and had been handed menus and Kurt had gushed about the restaurant at length that he noticed that Blaine looked subdued.

Kurt frowned and asked what was wrong.

Blaine, playing with one of his forks, admitted that this restaurant reminded him of dinners with his parents, and that he felt out of place.

_Oh… Oh! I should have gone with Pierini’s instead. Blaine loves Italian food. Why did I want to show off and take him to somewhere fancier?_

Blaine saw Kurt berate himself and instantly backtracked to make Kurt feel better. That didn’t entirely work, though, but Kurt smiled at Blaine and made the best of the situation. Blaine loosened up gradually throughout their meal, which may have had more to do with the champagne Kurt had ordered for them than with Blaine actually feeling at ease, but Kurt was glad to see him relax either way.

The alcohol loosened Blaine’s tongue as well, and he complained about Chandler doing his best to get between Kurt and Blaine.

Kurt made light of the matter, but made a mental note to discuss the subject with Mercedes. Maybe she could find a solution to the problem. What Chandler needed was someone or something else than Kurt to focus on. Maybe Blaine had a single friend that would be perfect for Chandler?

After dinner, Kurt led Blaine through the restaurant until he found the table Seb and Elliot were sitting at. Blaine’s eyes widened and he grinned widely when he noticed their friends, and he was quick to hug them.

Elliot invited them both along to the Ellen Show, and Kurt mentally crossed his fingers that Blaine would accept, which he did with alacrity. And then Blaine seemed to remember that Kurt may have other plans for them, and he hastened to confer with Kurt. Kurt, however, had no objections whatsoever, seeing as this fit into his plans perfectly, so within minutes, they were on their way to the studios.

Of course, as soon as they were seated in the audience, Blaine made friends with the woman sitting next to him, easily agreeing that Elliot looked like a dream and that his singing was out of this world.

_I hope Blaine will like our surprise. And I stuck to what he suggested and will let Seb and El announce the TV series project, so he can’t be angry with me about that. I so wish I could talk about my pet project with Ellen myself. Let’s hope we get a positive response. I really want this to succeed._

Blaine caught on to Kurt’s shifting mood, and gave him a concerned look, asking if he felt okay.

Kurt brushed it off as a trip down memory lane, seeing as he had been interviewed by Ellen before. Blaine threaded his fingers through Kurt’s and squeezed lightly. Kurt felt a weight drop off of him. It would be all right. Of course it would.

Then some guy with a clipboard came into the room and instructed the audience on when to applaud. Blaine, as the endearing dork he was, payed close attention and followed the instructions to the letter, and he seemed rather shocked that Kurt didn’t applaud. Kurt rolled his eyes and reminded Blaine that this was old hat to him.

And then the show began. Ellen came in to loud cheers, and Kurt looked aside to see Blaine beaming, his eyes wide in wonder and admiration. Kurt smiled fondly at him, thinking back to how star-struck he had been when he first met Ellen.

_Wow, that’s a long time ago. What was I? Nine?_

Elliot was announced and turned on the charm at once, pronouncing himself a big fan of the show. The crowd liked that, and he flashed them a big toothy grin and winked. Blaine’s new friend started fanning herself, and Kurt repressed the urge to giggle.

_I must not draw attention to myself. I’ve changed a lot, but maybe Ellen would still recognise me._

Ellen and Elliot talked a bit about his tour, Ellen fishing for details about who was sharing the stage with Elliot now, and Elliot grinning cheekily and evading giving her a straight answer. Finally, he announced that he’d brought his co-star along, and asked if he could announce him himself.

Sebastian came bouncing in, hiding behind Elliot in pretend shyness for a minute, and then greeting Ellen like an old friend. Ellen asked him a lot more questions than Elliot, but Kurt only half-listened, on edge for what was to come next. He did notice how happy and at ease Seb looked, and he felt glad for his friend.

Ellen coaxed Seb to sing for the audience, and he did, choosing the same love song that had choked Kurt up when he heard it in New York, and again, Kurt couldn’t stop his tears from falling.

Blaine, as the perfect gentleman he was, offered Kurt his handkerchief and kissed him sweetly.

Kurt dabbed at his eyes and then saw Seb and Elliot share a moment when Seb dedicated the love song to Elliot, and Ellen picked in on that immediately. As soon as Seb started gushing about the two of them having common interests, Kurt pricked up his ears.

_Any minute now…_

And yes, Seb hinted at what he called their “next project”, and Ellen took the bait, asking him to elaborate. Seb was only too happy to, and the crowd predictably gasped and then started mumbling when he said he and Elliot were friends with Mark Easterbrook, and were planning on turning his new novel into a TV series. And then Elliot piped up with the news that they’d made a teaser trailer to warm the crowd up to the idea, and Kurt felt Blaine stiffen next to him. Kurt looked aside, grinning from ear to ear. “Surprise!”

A slow smile stole over Blaine’s face like a sunrise, and he started bouncing in his seat like an excited toddler when the screen behind Ellen and their friends went dark and then the trailer started to play. The music came on first, and again, Blaine looked at Kurt with disbelief written all over his features. “Already?”

Kurt explained that this was why they’d gone to the recording studios first. As soon as that sank in, Blaine turned back to the screen so as not to miss a second of the trailer, his expression rapturous.

When the trailer was over, Kurt nudged Blaine, who was staring into space dreamily. “So what did you think?”

Blaine confessed he’d loved it, and Kurt internally fist-pumped.

_Yes! Operation Valentine’s Surprise is a success! Let’s hope the public likes the trailer just as much as Blaine does…_


	156. The Big Reveal

# Chapter 156: The Big Reveal

“ _She had looked her duty courageously in the face and found it a friend - as duty ever is when we meet it frankly_.” (L.M. Montgomery, _Anne of Green Gables_ )

It wasn’t just Blaine who liked the trailer. Kurt heard the other members of the audience whisper about it excitedly, and their comments were positive. Kurt grinned happily.

_We’re really going to do this!_

After a few moments, the man with the clipboard shushed the crowd so that Ellen could go on with the interview. She seemed impressed with the trailer, and liked the Devon character and the obvious chemistry between Devon and Charles.

The hair on Kurt’s skin prickled uncomfortably, though, when Ellen remarked that the theme song wasn’t sung by Seb and Elliot.

_Uh-oh… Busted!_

When Elliot answered that Mark Easterbrook and his boyfriend had performed the duet, Ellen pounced on that information and tried to ferret out the identity of the mystery writer. Elliot and Seb, loyal to a fault, tried to deflect Ellen’s questions as best they could, but Kurt got more and more agitated. It wasn’t supposed to go like that. When had he ever hidden behind someone else’s shoulder? Why did he let Seb and Elliot announce his pet project as theirs and skulk in the shadows himself? It made no sense. He wasn’t a coward, and he never shirked away from responsibility.

So Kurt made a split-second decision and got up. He stood up straight and proud, and declared, “It’s okay.”

Kurt still knew how to project his voice and make it fill the entire room, so everyone heard him and looked around to see who had spoken. Kurt ignored the whispers that erupted again and went to join Ellen and his friends on the dais.

Seb looked at him in silent apology, and whispered that it hadn’t been necessary for Kurt to own up to the truth.

_Oh yes, it’s necessary. For me. I want to be open about this. I need to. I’m done with the secrets and the hiding. I’m sick of it._

So Kurt introduced himself to Ellen again, smiling and easily slipping back into his public persona, even after so many years.

Ellen, though she was surprised to see him and barely recognised him anymore, quickly adapted to the situation, and fired off question after question. Kurt took time formulating his answers, but didn’t shy away from sharing more personal information, though it was tough for him to talk about the sweet sixteen disaster.

Kurt was glad when Ellen changed the subject and discussed his upcoming book with him, and then his love life. Kurt was only too happy to gush about Blaine, but he couldn’t help but panic a little when Ellen called Blaine to the dais as well.

_Please don’t be angry with me, sweetie!_

But Blaine just looked a little shell-shocked, not angry, and came to sit with Kurt readily enough, smiling shyly at Ellen, and answering her questions calmly, as if this was an everyday occurrence to him, just as normal as going grocery-shopping.

Ellen got Blaine to tell how he and Kurt had met at the book fair, Kurt and his niece listening to Blaine singing with his class and Tina’s.

Ellen listened with her head cocked to the side, smiling at Blaine’s obvious heart-eyes any time he looked Kurt’s way, and asked, “So are you planning on joining Elliot and Sebastian for their concert here in LA tomorrow night?”

Blaine looked taken aback by the question. “Uhm, I don’t know… Kurt is in charge of the plans this weekend…”

Blaine shot Kurt a quick pleading look that said, “I had no idea El and Seb had a concert tomorrow, but can we please go?”

Kurt laughed. “Yes, that was on the programme. I’m psyched to see them in action!”

“And you must sing with us,” Elliot insisted. “I’m not taking no for an answer.”

Blaine nodded enthusiastically, grinning from ear to ear, and Kurt shrugged and said, “Okay.”

“How about the four of you sing a song for us now?” Ellen asked. “To wrap up this interview, which… Oops! Took way longer than I had planned, with all these surprises.”

They all laughed, and then agreed to sing together. They chose Sebastian’s song they had perfected in New York and recorded as a demo, and the crowd lapped it up, clapping long and hard afterwards.

Sebastian and Elliot went backstage, and Kurt and Blaine followed them. The next interviewee, who sat there waiting, threw them a nasty look. Her interview would no doubt be shortened considerably.

Kurt couldn’t find it in himself to care, though, very happy with the way things had turned out. It seemed like people liked the idea of the TV series, and liked Seb and El as the actors as well. And no-one had booed or hissed when he’d told them the whole sordid sweet sixteen story. And Blaine had adapted to the limelight with amazing ease. Yes, it had all gone well.

Seb gave them a ride, Kurt providing the directions to Mercedes’ house and criticising Seb’s driving style until Elliot and Blaine were roaring with laughter.

At Mercedes’ place, Kurt and Blaine hugged their friends and promised to come to their concert the following night. Elliot gave them a wave and stepped into the car again. Seb, though, lingered and looked quite nervous for some reason.

“Uhm, Kurt, Blaine,” Seb said. “I went to see my aunts yesterday, and they asked after you, and when I told them you were coming here for the weekend, they wanted to see you. We’re going there for dinner tomorrow, and Auntie Myra told me to invite you along too. Is that okay? Will you come with us?”

Kurt looked at Blaine, who nodded. Kurt turned to Seb. “On one condition. Myra is friends with my Aunt Mary, right? Not the closest of friends, but they’re friendly?”

“I guess,” Seb shrugged. “Why?”

Kurt laughed. “Because Aunt Mary watches the Ellen Show, and if she were to find out I was in LA for the weekend and didn’t look her up, she’d be devastated. So could you ask your aunts to invite Aunt Mary and Uncle Robert as well? That way, we can kill two birds with one stone and everyone will be happy.”

“Huh…” Seb said. “I’ll ask her and get back to you, okay?”

“Okay,” Kurt smiled. “Thanks for helping me out with the Winding Ways project.”

“Anything for you,” Seb answered, his voice low but fervent.

Kurt squeezed his arm softly. “See you tomorrow then?”

“See you tomorrow,” Seb nodded. “I’ll text you.”

Kurt laced his fingers through Blaine’s as they walked up the driveway.

_I hope Blaine enjoyed Valentine’s Day as much as I have…_


	157. Meeting the Aunts

# Chapter 157: Meeting the Aunts

“ _You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you._ ” (Frederick Buechner)

It was weird how easily Ellen got Blaine to feel at ease, chatting with her as though she was an old friend, talking to her about meeting Kurt. The fact that she was actually interviewing Blaine came rushing back to him when she asked if he planned on going to Elliot and Sebastian’s concert the following day.

Blaine did not know the answer to that at all, so he blurted out that Kurt was the one to ask.

Kurt was quick to help Blaine out and assure Ellen that yes, they were going to the concert, to which Elliot added that he expected Kurt and Blaine to sing with him and Sebastian.

Blaine liked that idea, and Kurt clearly could tell. His gaze only lingered on Blaine for a moment before he agreed to Elliot’s plan.

Of course, that made Ellen request a song from the four of them, and before Blaine knew it, he was singing his heart out with his friends and then basking in the applause they got from the audience.

Their song concluded the interview, and Kurt and Blaine followed their friends backstage and to Sebastian’s car. It wasn’t until Blaine was sitting in the back seat, holding Kurt’s hand and seeing night-time LA flash by him that it hit Blaine how surreal all of this had been.

_Seriously? That really happened? I was on the Ellen Show just now? Let me just pinch myself…_

Blaine did, but of course he was very much awake, and that realisation led to a sudden giggle fit that had nothing to do with Kurt and Seb’s back-and-forth of witty barbs. He shook with laughter for the rest of their ride to Mercedes’ house.

Once they arrived there, Sebastian invited them to have dinner with his aunts the following day, and Kurt accepted, asking for his aunt and uncle to be invited as well.

Sebastian looked a bit taken aback at the request, but promised to ask.

“Anything for you,” Blaine heard him say, sincerity ringing in every syllable, and Blaine smiled.

_Same here, Seb… I guess once you’re under Kurt Hummel’s spell, it’s for life…_

K&B

The rest of the evening was quiet but enjoyable. Kurt and Mercedes retired to the sofa to touch base about the wedding planning, and Sam and Blaine played video games and then watched the newest Star Wars film on DVD. They had an intense discussion about where this film ranked among the others and were just debating watching A New Hope again, for comparison’s sake, when Mercedes cleared her throat and declared that it was bed time.

Mercedes brought Kurt and Blaine to a large and luxurious guest room and wished them good night.

“Not just yet,” Kurt whispered, waggling his eyebrows at Blaine, who laughed and tackled his boyfriend onto the huge bed, peppering his face with kisses and attacking Kurt’s tickle spots until he squirmed and giggled. “Not yet, Mr Sneaky? Do you have any more huge surprises to spring on me?”

“No-oh-oh…” Kurt gasped. “No more surprises. No more plans, except the sexy kind.”

“Ooooh… I like the sound of that!”

K&B

The next morning, Sebastian sent them a confirmation that Kurt’s aunt and uncle had also been invited to dinner at Seb’s aunts, and texted them the address.

Their taxi dropped them off at twelve PM sharp. They rang the bell and were ushered in by a beaming Myra. “Kurt! So good to see you again! And this is your boyfriend?”

Kurt introduced Blaine to her, and she hugged him warmly. “Welcome! Come on in!”

Myra led them to the living room, where Lynn was waiting for them. She hugged them too, wordlessly, and then, tears running down her cheeks, she choked out, “Thank you so much for saving our baby. I can’t bear to think…”

Lynn clapped a hand over her mouth and started crying in earnest. Kurt looked slightly alarmed, but patted her lightly on the shoulder, telling her that it was okay, that Seb was going to be okay, that she needn’t worry.

Kurt was still in the process of comforting Lynn when the doorbell rang again, and this time, it was Sebastian and Elliot. Myra brought them to the living room as well, and Sebastian’s expression upon seeing his aunt break down like that was so stricken and guilty that it stabbed Blaine through the heart.

Luckily, Kurt’s aunt and uncle were shown in soon after that, and the conversation went to safer topics as soon as they moved to the dinner table: the food, the weather, the concert tour, Kurt’s new book, etc.

Kurt’s aunt Mary looked a lot like Burt, and was just as direct in her questioning. She showed herself very interested in Blaine, wanting to know all about him, and finally conceding that he seemed to make Kurt happy and that they made a cute couple.

Mary’s husband Robert didn’t say much, content to nod along and hum in assent ever so often. He watched Kurt and Blaine shrewdly, though, and when they stood up after dessert to take their coffee in the living room, Robert sidled up to Blaine and said quietly, “You’ll do”, patting him on the back.

Blaine bit down a pleased grin and sat down next to Kurt, joining in the conversation effortlessly.

Around 3.30 PM, Sebastian told his aunts that it was time for him and Elliot to leave, so as to get ready for the concert.

“We’re coming with you,” Kurt decided, and again, the four of them piled into Seb’s Aston Martin.

The concert venue was huge, and Blaine’s eyes widened as he took it all in. “How many people are coming to see you, exactly?”

Elliot smiled and winked at him. “Impressive, isn’t it, the Staples Center? I think we’ll be singing for about 15,000 fans tonight.”

Now Blaine’s eyes positively bulged out of their sockets. “15,000?”

“That’s a rough estimate,” Elliot told him. “It might be more.”

“Uh-uh,” was all Blaine managed to say to that.

_Wow. I sincerely hope I won’t be struck with stage fright when Elliot calls on us to sing._


	158. The LA Concert

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Christmas holidays are preventing me from writing, so I haven't been able to finish this chapter on time. I'm posting what I have right now and will add the rest of it later. Sorry for the delay. Merry Christmas!

# Chapter 158: The LA Concert

“ _If I cannot fly, let me sing._ ” (Stephen Sondheim)

Elliot took Kurt and Blaine along with him to a lounge, where they found the back up singers and band members, and Elliot introduced his friends to them.

Max, the bass guitarist, was a tall guy with dreadlocks and heaps of tattoos and piercings. He was dressed entirely in leather and would have looked intimidating if it hadn’t been for his kind smile.

Peter, the lead guitarist, was positively dwarfed by Max, though he was slightly taller than Blaine. He had sandy hair and nervous fingers, which were always plucking at something.

The girls were a chatty bunch. Shadi and Leila seemed very taken with Blaine, hugging and petting him as though he were their younger brother and rhapsodising about his curls, eyelashes, smile and muscular arms until Blaine blushed fire-engine red and the other guys all howled with laughter.

Eileen was older than the smitten sisters, and before she started touring with Elliot, she’d been a back-up singer for big names like Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder, and she happily answered as many questions as she could about Blaine’s idols, laughing at his wide-eyed wonder and excitement.

Elliot excused himself to get ready for his meet-and-greet session with fans who’d bought VIP tickets, but promised to come back as soon as he could to run through the songs Kurt and Blaine would have a part in when they joined their friends on stage.

Max and the rest of the band started warming up, Kurt and Blaine joining in with the vocal exercises the girls did. Then Peter asked if it was true that Blaine wrote songs as well, and he sang a few bars of the Winding Ways theme song for the band. They seemed to like it, and offered to teach Kurt and Blaine some of Elliot’s songs.

By the time Elliot and Sebastian returned from the meet-and-greet, Blaine had acquired a guitar and was jamming with the band and thoroughly enjoying himself. He didn’t notice his friends’ arrival until Elliot let out a piercing whistle to make the band stop playing and pay attention.

“Okay, guys, we need to run through ‘If I had you’, which I want to sing with Blaine, and ‘Better than I know myself’, which is going to be a duet with Kurt. And then we have Bas’ song ‘Everything I Didn’t Say’, which the four of us are going to sing together, but we’ve done that before, so I’d leave that for last. I don’t know if we’ll have time to rehearse all three.”

Half an hour later, Elliot pronounced himself satisfied and everyone but Kurt and Blaine left the lounge to get dressed and get their hair and make-up done.

“Hey…” Kurt said softly, taking Blaine’s hand in his. “You’re okay with this, right? I saw you panic for a moment there when Elliot told you how many people we’d be singing for.”

Blaine smiled at Kurt and kissed his nose. “I’m over it, don’t worry. I’m just going to enjoy myself and I’ll try not to think of all those eyes on me. It’s just me hanging with my friends and singing with them. No big deal.”

Kurt let out a sharp bark of laughter. His eyes crinkled and he slowly shook his head. “I can’t believe you’re calmer than I am, and I’ve been to all sorts of events for years. But I’m nervous. Really nervous. I feel like I’m about to throw up. And now you’re going to judge me for being so silly, aren’t you? Please don’t judge me.”

Blaine pulled Kurt in for a hug, and whispered into his ear, “No judgment from me. At all. It’s not silly. It’s adorable. You’re adorable. And you and I, we’re going to kill this thing.”

K&B

Blaine loved watching his friends perform. His jaws ached from smiling so hard and so long, and he couldn’t keep himself from dancing and singing along and applauding proudly and loudly. That Elliot was in his element on a stage had already been proved at Callbacks, but Sebastian could certainly hold his own, and had the crowd eating out of his hand with his witty asides and his winks and smiles.

When it was Kurt and Blaine’s turn to sing, Blaine proved right in his prediction. Kurt had gotten over his nerves, or was at least able to hide them very well, and they had a blast singing with Elliot and Sebastian. The fans reacted well to them, too, cooing when Sebastian announced Kurt as his childhood friend he’d grown up with and applauding enthousiastically when Elliot told them Blaine had co-written some of Sebastian’s songs and sung back-up on several of Elliot’s.

After their contribution, Kurt and Blaine disappeared backstage again, but their friends called them back to bow with the whole band at the end, and coaxed them into singing “We Will Rock You” with them as an encore.

Blaine felt so much energy thrumming through him that he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep for hours, though it was pretty late already. Fortunately, no-one was quite ready to go to bed just yet, and they all went to a club to dance and drink and have fun. And Blaine definitely did, dancing dorkily on the more upbeat numbers and pulling Kurt close for the slower songs. They danced with the girls as well, and Leila, happily drunk, though her tongue didn’t need much loosening, shouted over the loud music that Blaine looked even hotter all sweaty with wild hair and dishevelled clothes. Shadi nodded in agreement, and Eileen bit her lip to hide a wide grin.

Blaine laughed and thanked Leila for the compliment. He felt Kurt tug him a little closer, and warm breath caressed his ear as Kurt hissed, “They can look and admire all they want, but you’re mine.”

“Always,” Blaine said simply, and kissed Kurt. It was slow and sweet at first, but quickly grew in intensity. Blaine didn’t realise exactly how unfit for company their behaviour had become until he felt another body plaster itself to his back and a loud voice announced, “Ah man, you’re giving such a show that I really have to join in. You guys are so HOT!”

It was Sebastian, and by now he was full-out grinding against Blaine, whose eyes widened. Then he saw Elliot do the exact same thing with Kurt and wink and grin at Blaine.

Kurt pushed Elliot off and yanked Blaine away from Sebastian.

“Okay, okay, I got the hint,” Kurt drawled. “Tone down the PDA, got it. Now leave me and my boyfriend alone.”

“Aww, you’re no fun!” Sebastian complained, but Elliot had already taken him by the hand, laughing loudly, and disappeared with him in the direction of the bathrooms.

K&B

Blaine woke up to a pounding head and an empty bed. He heard whispering coming from the living room, so he quickly pulled on boxers, jeans and a T-shirt and went to look for Kurt.

Kurt was sitting on the sofa with Mercedes, discussing wedding cake themes this time, and looking perfectly put together and not hung-over or tired in the least.

_How does he do that? I feel like someone’s clobbering my head with a blunt weapon…_

Kurt looked up and smiled at Blaine, who managed a weak grimace in return.

“How are you feeling, honey? Want me to make you a fry-up breakfast?”

Blaine shook his head and then grimaced again. “My head hurts.”

“Aw, poor baby,” Kurt cooed. “You should have said no to the tequila shots, like I did. Here, drink this, you’ll feel better.”

Kurt held out a glass of water, and handed Blaine a painkiller as well.

“Mercedes and I were just about to have lunch, in fact,” Kurt said. “You’ve slept half the day away.”

Blaine blearily squinted at his wristwatch and saw that it was nearly 1 PM already. “Oh… Sorry… Did you have something planned for today?”

Kurt chuckled. “Apart from celebrating Mercedes’ birthday with lots of cake, since we were too busy to do that yesterday, no. Nothing. Today can be a lazy Sunday, and then this evening we’re flying back to Ohio. That’s it. We’ve had enough excitement Friday and yesterday, haven’t we?”

Blaine smiled. “We have. I still can’t believe I was on the Ellen Show.”

“And then you performed in front of an audience of thousands,” Mercedes added. “You big star, you!”

Blaine chuckled. “I’ll be getting an earful from my brother when he finds out.”

Kurt started at the mention of Cooper. “Should we have gone and visited Cooper as well while we’re in LA?”

Before Blaine could answer, his phone rang. “Speak of the devil… Hey Coop, what’s up?”

“What’s up, squirt? Why don’t you tell me what’s up? You were on the Ellen show, singing and everything!”

Blaine laughed. “That’s one of the perks of having famous friends, I guess…”

“And a famous boyfriend, too,” Cooper added. “You never told me Kurt used to be an actor. Maybe he could hook me up with…”

“No, Coop! I’m not going to let you badger Kurt for his connections. You want to be a big-shot actor? Fine! I’ll give you the contact details of Kurt’s aunt, who’s a talent agent. But I want you to leave Kurt alone!”

Cooper huffed. “I see how it is. Always conveniently forgetting you have a family, aren’t you? It doesn’t matter if Mom cries because you haven’t come home for Thanksgiving nor for Christmas. It doesn’t matter if I could miss my big break because you won’t let me speak to Kurt.”

“Oh, stop it, Coop!” Blaine hissed. “If you can’t get a ‘big break’ all by yourself, I doubt Kurt could help you, nor should he have to just because you’re his boyfriend’s brother. And for Thanksgiving, I told Dad I’d come if Kurt could come along too, but Kurt wasn’t welcome, so I put my foot down. That was the first time in five years that Father invited me for Thanksgiving, by the way, so don’t pretend that I’ve flouted tradition or some such nonsense. We hardly ever celebrate the holidays as a family. And Mom saw me at the fashion show and the dinner after.”

“Which she had to find out about herself. You didn’t tell her you’d be in a fashion show.”

“So?” Blaine shouted. “I did tell Mom about the Thanksgiving school musical I wrote the music and the lyrics for, but did she come and see it? No, she didn’t. So why would I tell her about Kurt’s fashion show?”

“You wrote a musical?” Cooper sounded impressed.

“Yes, and it was really good, if I say so myself,” Blaine said proudly, and he saw Kurt nod.

“Well, invite ME next time, and I’ll come,” Cooper promised.

“You’d come all the way to Ohio to see a bunch of little children perform a school musical?” Blaine asked sceptically.

“I promise. I know I haven’t been around much, squirt, but you’re my little brother, and I’m tremendously proud of you. I’ve got all your books, you know, not just the one you gave me last New Year’s.”

“You do?”

“Why don’t you come over and see for yourself?” Cooper suggested. “You’re still in LA, aren’t you?”

“Invite him here,” Kurt hissed. “There’s plenty of cake to go around, and I want to spend time with Mercedes while I can.”


	159. Mercedes' Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhm, hello? *Waves timidly* Anybody still out there? Listen, I'm really sorry about having made you wait for *gasp* a year for an update. That's terrible, and I apologise from the bottom of my heart. I had burnt myself out by churning out so many chapters in quick succession, and however much I stared at the page, more wouldn't come :-(
> 
> Now, though, a lovely new reader has discovered this fic and is making her way through it, leaving a review on every chapter, and making me see the story through her eyes as though it is new to me again. Thank you, Gleeful Darren Criss Fan, I owe you for this!

# Chapter 159: Mercedes’ Birthday

_"A slice of cake never made anyone fat. You don't eat the whole cake. You don't eat a cake every day of your life. You take the cake when it is offered because the cake is delicious. You have a slice of cake and what it reminds you of is someplace that's safe, uncomplicated, without stress. A cake is a party, a birthday, a wedding. A cake is what is served on the happiest days of your life."_

(Jeanne Ray, _Eat Cake_ )

Kurt was too wired up to sleep much, and got up around five on Saturday. He padded to the kitchen and looked for all the ingredients to make bread. The kneading calmed and soothed him and helped clear his head. He made apple and cinnamon muffins as well, Mercedes’ favourite breakfast food. He was just glazing the muffins and decorating them with roses made of thin apple slices when Blaine stepped into the kitchen.

“You’re up early,” Blaine whispered.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Kurt sighed. “So I thought I’d come here and prepare Mercedes a big birthday breakfast.”

Blaine’s eyebrows flew up. “It’s Mercedes’ birthday today? I wish I’d known. She’s letting us stay over and I don’t even have a present!”

Kurt grinned. “Don’t worry, I’ve got us covered. I brought her a present, and it can be from us both. Just put your name on the birthday card. Wait, I’ll go fetch it.”

Blaine signed the birthday card, and Kurt put the present and the card in plain view on the coffee table in the living room.

By the time Sam stumbled into the kitchen, Kurt and Blaine had prepared a real feast. Home-made bread, muffins, yoghurt with fresh fruit and French toast.

“Wow!” Sam exclaimed. “I was gonna bring ‘Cedes breakfast in bed, but you sure stole my thunder.”

Kurt chuckled. “Well, I’ll prepare you a tray, if you like.”

Sam snorted. “As if ‘Cedes wouldn’t know the difference. If it had been me making breakfast, it would just have been sunny-side-ups and toast and orange juice.”

“And I’m up anyway,” announced Mercedes from the doorway. “Something smelled far too nice for me to stay in bed.”

Kurt, quick as a flash, lit the candle he’d put on Mercedes’ birthday muffin, and signalled to the others to start singing. “Happy birthday to you…”

Mercedes blew out the candle and thanked them, grinning from ear to ear. “This is nice! I should have you over for my birthday more often.”

“Oh, and your present!” Kurt exclaimed, and plucked it off the coffee table to hand it to Mercedes.

Mercedes took off the wrapping paper, and her eyebrows flew up when she saw the pale blue jewellery box. She opened it and found a pair of earrings studded with sapphires.

“I thought it could be your something blue, for the wedding,” Kurt confessed, and Mercedes teared up and enveloped him in a hug. “They’re perfect, boo. Thank you.”

K&B

Kurt would have liked to have spent the whole day with Sam and Mercedes, but he’d promised to have dinner with Seb’s aunts, so at noon, Kurt and Blaine found themselves warmly welcomed by Myra, and then tearfully thanked by Lynn.

Kurt’s aunt and uncle showed up, too, and as Kurt might have guessed, Burt and Mary being two peas in a pod, Mary started to cross-examine Blaine the moment she arrived. Blaine took it in stride, answering all her questions patiently until she nodded in approval.

After dinner, Kurt and Blaine went to the concert venue with Seb and Elliot, and rehearsed songs with the band while their friends had a meet-and-greet with their fans.

Blaine had a bit of a freak-out when he saw the size of the Staples Center and heard for how many people they’d be singing that night, but got over that much faster than Kurt himself, who felt nauseous with nerves until they went on stage. Then, he managed to switch to his public persona again to joke with Elliot and Sebastian, and he happily lost himself in singing with his friends.

After the concert, Kurt and Blaine went clubbing with Seb and Elliot and the band. Kurt stopped after one drink, but Blaine couldn’t find it in him to refuse the shots the band members kept buying him, and got more and more hyper and affectionate, dancing on his own with his arms swinging around wildly and singing along to the faster numbers, and plastering himself against Kurt to slow dance whenever the music allowed that. The slow dancing evolved into kissing. Intense kissing that wasn’t very fit for public consumption. Kurt melted on the spot when Blaine started kissing his neck and behind his ear, and couldn’t help but moan when Blaine started to grind against him, one hand in Kurt’s neck and one hand in the back pocket of Kurt’s jeans, kneading.

Kurt threw his head back and closed his eyes, feeling his whole body thrum, hungry for more. And then, all of a sudden, he felt someone behind him, moving sinuously against him, and his eyes flew back open in alarm. He saw Sebastian grin at him from behind Blaine, his hands on Blaine’s hips and his movements lewd and provocative. Kurt turned around and saw that it was Elliot behind him.

Eyes flashing, Kurt pushed Elliot into the dancing crowd and then freed his boyfriend from Seb’s grip.

_Mine!_

Seb and Elliot seemed to find Kurt’s jealousy hilarious, but Kurt was in no mood to humour them, not even saying goodbye to them before he tugged Blaine along to get their coats and go back to Mercedes’ place.

As soon as they were in the back of a cab, Blaine started nuzzling and kissing Kurt again, and Kurt only just had the presence of mind to tell the cab driver Mercedes’ address before he was lost in a haze of want and need.

Some time later, the cab driver had to clear his throat quite a few times before it dawned on Kurt that they had reached their destination. He gave the man a sizeable tip and helped Blaine out of the car, shushing him when he started to sing. “Don’t wake Sam and Mercedes! Inside voice, please!”

Mercedes had thankfully given Kurt her spare key. Kurt managed to get Blaine to the spare bedroom without too much noise, skilfully distracting him with kisses and caresses until they were both sitting on the bed, Kurt unlacing his boots. Blaine rolled on top of Kurt and started grinding again, and kissing him sloppily. Kurt, who’d only managed to take of one of his boots, said, “Blaine, our shoes! Our coats!”

Blaine paid no heed to that, moaning happily and nuzzling Kurt’s neck. Kurt rolled his eyes and pushed Blaine up far enough to undo the buttons of Blaine’s coat. Blaine grinned and tugged at Kurt’s coat, his fingers fumbling.

“Don’t worry, honey, I’ll do it,” Kurt assured him, and Blaine smiled dopily and let his hands roam under Kurt’s coat, vest and shirt. Blaine’s cold hands made Kurt shiver, and he was quick to slide off the bed and kneel to take Blaine’s shoes off.

“You’re the best,” Blaine slurred. “I’m going to make you feel SO good.”

Kurt hurriedly put their coats on the loveseat and their shoes under it, eager to under the covers with Blaine and fool around a little, but when he turned around, he found Blaine fast asleep, half on the bed, half off.

Kurt smiled and shook his head. “You keep falling asleep on me, don’t you?”

K&B

Unsurprisingly, Blaine was still sleeping soundly when Kurt woke up the next morning, so he tiptoed to the bathroom to get ready for the day and then went to the living room.

“Hey, dude!” Sam greeted Kurt cheerfully.

“Morning, boo,” Mercedes smiled. “Did you have a good time?”

“Morning, ‘Cedes. Yes, we did. I’m going to let Blaine sleep in - I think he needs it.”

Over breakfast, Kurt told Sam and Mercedes about the concert, and then the conversation turned to wedding plans again. Kurt was determined to make the most of his time in LA to make some progress with the planning, so he and Mercedes went to see the venue she’d booked to discuss decorations and to take pictures for Rachel’s benefit, and then stopped by the bakery she wanted for her wedding cake to pick up several kinds of cake to taste-test, and a big cake for her birthday. By the time they got back, Blaine still hadn’t woken up.

Kurt peeked in the spare room and saw Blaine lying on his back, snoring.

_I’m going to give him another hour, and then I’ll come wake him up._

In the end, that wasn’t necessary. Just when Sam announced the tacos he’d been making were ready, Blaine stumbled into the living room, bleary-eyed and pale and with wild bed hair.

After chugging down a whole glass of water and a painkiller, Blaine looked marginally more alive, but he still winced when his phone went off. It proved to be Cooper, who let his brother have it for not telling him he was in LA and on the Ellen show, and complained that Blaine didn’t care about his family at all. Blaine defended himself hotly, and ended up inviting Cooper over for tea and cake as a conciliatory gesture.

Mercedes was quite understandably taken with Cooper from the moment she laid eyes on him. Cooper simply oozed charm. He’d brought her flowers, he kissed her hand when Blaine introduced them to one another and he paid her no end of compliments.

Kurt made sure to mention Sam and Mercedes’ wedding at the earliest opportunity, thinking that would tone down Cooper’s schmoozing and flattery, but it didn’t. Mentioning Seb and Elliot worked a lot better. Cooper was suddenly all ears, especially when Kurt discussed the TV series, and not so subtly hinted that he would love a role in the series. Kurt tentatively suggested Cooper could play the Inspector to Elliot’s Officer, and Cooper sent him a dazzling smile. “I’ll hold you to that!”

Soon after, Kurt and Blaine had to leave for the airport, and Cooper offered to bring them. His car was a red convertible Mustang, and though it was cold, the top was down. Kurt was in half a mind to refuse to get in the car - the damage the wind would do to his hair! - but before he could say anything, Cooper noticed his less-than-pleased expression, took out his remote control and closed the convertible top, winking at Kurt. “I’m nothing if not adaptable.”

Blaine rolled his eyes and stomped off to take a seat in the back of the car, and without losing a beat, Kurt slid in next to him.

“What am I, your chauffeur?” Cooper joked.

“Yes,” Blaine said. “The airport, please, and step on it.”


	160. Operation Get Chandler Laid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: this chapter mentions bullying, suicidal thoughts and a suicide attempt, all of which are canon Glee happenings, so they shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. Thank you for the nice and encouraging messages you sent me. I'm deeply relieved and grateful that I still have faithful readers, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart ♥

# Chapter 160: Operation Get Chandler Laid

“ _People who love themselves, don’t hurt other people. The more we hate ourselves, the more we want others to suffer._ ” (Dan Pearce, _Single Dad Laughing_ )

On the plane back, Blaine cuddled up to Kurt and only hummed whenever Kurt tried to make conversation, clearly still hung-over and out of sorts. He finally snapped out of it when Kurt let out a big sigh.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine. Just… Not looking forward to going back to work.”

“Oh?”

“Because of Chandler. Can’t we hook him up with one of your Warbler friends? If he had a boyfriend of his own, maybe he’d stop crushing on me?”

Blaine hummed, but this time, his eyes were alert and his expression pensive.

“Karaoke night this Thursday?” Blaine suggested. “I’ll get Jeff to invite the old crowd. Trent is still single. Thad too, I think. So all you have to do is invite Chandler. Does he sing?”

Kurt winced. “Yes. He loves to sing.”

“Off-key?” Blaine guessed.

Kurt bit his lower lip. “No, it’s just… He can’t reach the high notes. And he keeps picking songs that have these really high bits, and he seems to think if he really belts them out, that will make it sound better.”

“But it doesn’t?” Blaine asked.

Kurt shuddered. “No.”

Blaine hummed again. “Sounds like a challenge for Thad. He was always offering us breathing tips and voice lessons. His mother is an opera singer.”

“Perfect,” Kurt grinned.

K&B

True to his word, Blaine contacted Jeff, who was only too happy to organise the event, making a Facebook page for it and texting Blaine every time a friend of theirs had confirmed they were coming.

Kurt carefully sounded out Chandler during their lunches together that week, and found out that Chandler had never had a boyfriend before, and didn’t really have a ‘type’. Of the celebrities he favoured, some were short and others tall, some were muscled and others slender, and he didn’t seem to have a preference as to the colour of the eyes and hair and skin either.

When Chandler described his ideal man, it sounded eerily like what Kurt had wanted when he was in highschool. A gentleman, polite and sweet. What made Chandler swoon was the idea of someone romancing him, taking good care of him and sharing his interests.

Chandler eagerly accepted the invitation to the Warbler’s karaoke night, confessing that he’d never sung karaoke before but had always wanted to, so Kurt crossed his fingers that he would hit it off with Thad or Trent.

“So what’s Thad like?” Kurt asked Blaine when they were getting ready on Thursday night.

“Hmm, what? Oh, Thad… He’s nice. Quiet, except when he’s talking about something he’s really into. Not a rebel, he sticks to the rulebook. He and Wes always kept us under control when our practice sessions became rowdy.”

Kurt frowned. That didn’t really seem like the romantic ideal Chandler was looking for. Maybe Trent would be the better match?

“And Trent?” Kurt wanted to know.

“You’ll like him,” Blaine grinned. “He’s very sweet, quite fashionable and he loves Audrey Hepburn with a passion.”

Kurt nodded approvingly.

_Now that’s more like it!_

“Jeff invited some of our college friends, too,” Blaine added. “Well, Ryder isn’t gay, of course, but Dave certainly is, and I think a few others are bisexual. So Chandler will have his choice of men.”

Kurt grinned. “Good. You ready?”

Kurt raked his eyes over Blaine, who was wearing black slacks, a [purple shirt](https://78.media.tumblr.com/0b24ab17d96f13c9745342575be40d89/tumblr_p2rjpatWAe1tkbapjo1_500.jpg) and a light grey sweater, and looked absolutely gorgeous in that outfit.

“Just the bow tie, and then I’m done,” Blaine said, and held up two options. Kurt picked the red one with blue stripes and tied it deftly around Blaine’s neck.

Blaine dashed to the hat rack to fetch their coats, and helped Kurt into his pea coat before donning his own. He offered his arm to Kurt and said, “Okay, we’re off! Operation Get Chandler Laid is officially a go!”

K&B

Kurt had told Chandler where to find the karaoke bar, and had promised that he and Blaine would wait outside for him.

When they arrived, though, Chandler was already there. “Kurt! I came early ‘cause I wasn’t sure I’d find this place. I know you told me where to go, but I’m not very good with directions, so I thought, better make sure to have some margin in case I get lost, you know? But I found my way here without any problem, so I was WAY too early. I’m really glad you’re here. Not that I mind waiting, but it’s kind of cold. And a couple of people passing by looked at me funny. So I’m glad you’re here. And Blaine, too.”

Kurt looked at Blaine out of the corner of his eye and saw his lips twitch.

_Okay, Hummel, don’t laugh, don’t laugh, Chandler will be offended!_

Just then, Jeff and Nick arrived with a group of Blaine’s college friends.

“Hey, Klaine!” Jeff grinned. “Is this your friend Chandler?”

“Hey Jeff,” Kurt said. “Yes, this is Chandler. Go easy on him, it’s his first time ever singing karaoke.”

Jeff’s grin got even wider. “Really?”

“Yes, I’m a first-timer,” Chandler confirmed. “You’re the one who organised this event, right? You friended me on Facebook and invited me. Thank you so much for letting me join in, I really appreciate it! I’ve been looking forward to it so much, though I have no idea how karaoke works.”

Jeff slung an arm around Chandler. “No worries, man, I’ll take you under my wing. Come with me and I’ll explain everything from A to Z, and introduce you to the others. Let’s get inside.”

The group of friends murmured their assent and moved towards the door, one of them hastening to hold open the door for everyone. “After you!”

Chandler’s eyes shone at that chivalrous gesture, and he was the first to go in, still with Jeff’s arm around him and with a skip in his step, nodding and smiling at the man holding the door. “Thank you, that’s so sweet!”

Kurt suppressed a grin and filed after the others to get inside as well, with a smile of his own for the gallant gentleman, but he froze when he noticed exactly who it was.

“Dave, my man!” Blaine said, clapping the guy on the back. “It’s been ages. Where have you been?”

Dave grinned at Blaine. “Busy life of a reporter, dude. I travel a lot.”

“Oh, hey, this is my boyfriend, Kurt. Kurt, this is Dave.”

“Nice to meet y… Oh!” Dave turned towards Kurt, his easy grin slipping when he recognised Kurt and saw him glare.

“We’ve met,” Kurt said in clipped tones. “Karofsky. Can’t say it’s nice to see you again.”

“Kurt!” Blaine reproached him. “How can y…?”

Kurt threw Blaine a look that silenced him mid-sentence. “How can I say that? Easily! Your *pal* here was the worst bully I’ve ever had. He made my life miserable all through highschool. At one point, I even thought of killing myself to be rid of him. Every time I get a nightmare, it’s about him. Yes, after all those years. So don’t you DARE tell me that should all be water under the bridge by now. Not when he messed me up like that!”

Blaine looked at Kurt with wide eyes, opening and closing his mouth like a fish.

“Kurt…” Dave spoke hesitantly, his hands up in a soothing gesture.

But Kurt was having none of that. “Over my dead body am I going to pretend like everything’s fine and dandy, and sing karaoke and chat and smile while HE is around. I’m not going to play nice with a guy who made my life HELL for years on end!”

“Kurt, I’m...” Dave tried again.

“A Neanderthal? Yes, you are! A homophobe? Yes, you are! Pushing me around because you’re so scared to catch the gay. Well, guess what, idiot, it’s not a disease! You can’t catch it! And you can’t punch it out of me either! This is who I am, and I’m always going to be this way, so why don’t you GROW UP already and accept that!”

Kurt half expected Dave to shove him or to yell back angrily, the way he would have in highschool. But he didn’t. When Kurt ran out of steam and just stood there looking daggers at his former bully, Dave sighed and once again put his hands up, palms towards Kurt.

“Kurt… I’m sorry, dude. I guess you won’t believe me, but I am. Because, you know, I did grow up. Sorted out a lot of issues in college. Went to see a therapist. And I get it now. I do. I was a moron in highschool, and I treated you like crap. Mostly because… I was jealous.”

Kurt furrowed his eyebrows. “Jealous?”

“You weren’t afraid to be yourself. Whatever we did to you, you always had a comeback, and you never stopped wearing or saying or doing what you wanted. You were so strong.”

“So strong I almost committed suicide,” Kurt spat out.

“But you didn’t,” Dave said. “I did. Well, tried, anyway. My dad found me in time.”

Whatever had been going through Kurt’s head all flew out when he heard that. “Really?”

Dave nodded.

“Is that why you weren’t there the last weeks of senior year?”

“Yep.”

“But why?” Kurt wanted to know.

“You called me a homophobe,” Dave began, “and I was. Yep. I hated everyone that was gay. Thought it was unnatural. Thought it was wrong. And when you transferred to McKinley, and walked into school, I hated you and everything you stood for. But… I felt other stuff, too. I wanted you. I had wet dreams about you. Loads of them. And it scared the hell out of me. Made me hate myself too. For having those thoughts. Dreams. Wants. So I tried to end myself.”

Kurt gaped at Dave.

_Wow. I did not see that one coming._

[Dave let out a humourless chuckle](https://78.media.tumblr.com/312227fe00ca87a7521e3b50f20c9ea4/tumblr_p2rjpatWAe1tkbapjo2_500.jpg). “Yep. That happened. And then I had to tell my mom and dad why. They took it better than I thought. Told me I needed therapy, though, so that I wouldn’t try and kill myself again. And that helped. Helped me accept that I was gay, though it took time. I didn’t come out ‘till sophomore year at college. Didn’t start dating ‘till senior year. And I swore that if I’d ever saw you again, I’d apologise for being such a jerk. You never deserved any of that, it was me being angry at myself and working it out on you. So… I’m sorry. I know it doesn’t mean much, and I know you’ll never forgive me, but I’m really sorry about the stuff I did, and if I could take it all back, I would.”

Kurt, his head a jumble of thoughts, looked at Dave - really looked at him. Gone was the angry boy from his memories, stomping through the McKinley hallways with his eyes narrowed into slits, his mouth an angry sneer and his hands balled into fists, ready to pick a fight with anyone. The man who now stood in front of him seemed at peace, his hulking presence no longer a threat to Kurt or anyone else.

Kurt nodded to Dave. “I accept your apology.”

“Great,” Dave said. “Thanks. And, uhm… Please don’t leave now because of me, okay?”

“I won’t,” Kurt promised. “I can’t. I brought a friend. I can’t just bail on him.”

“The cute blond with the glasses, huh?”

Kurt cocked his head to the side. “You think Chandler’s cute?”

“Yep. Don’t worry, I won’t talk to him if you don’t want me to. And I can leave, if you want me to. I can always catch up with the guys later. Never been much of a singer anyway. I’m tone-deaf. So I can just…”

“No, no,” Kurt interrupted Dave. “Don’t go. We’ve planned this whole event because we were hoping to find Chandler a boyfriend. So, if you like him… Stay. Chat with him. Dance with him. See where it goes.”

“You don’t mind?”

“No,” Kurt said firmly. “He liked it when you held open the door for us. So you’ve caught his attention already. Stay.”


	161. Chandler Tries His Wings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know it's been simply AGES since the last update (sorry!!), and I had to re-read the story from the beginning to reacquaint myself with it before writing another chapter, but I can hardly expect you to spend four days ploughing through the previous 160 chapters again, so here's a recap for you... 
> 
> Kurt is a clothes designer in this verse and Blaine is an elementary school teacher. They also both write books, and Kurt used to do that in secret, under a different name, but now that Blaine knows he's Mark Easterbrook, Kurt has stopped being so uptight about it, and he's publicly come out as Mark Easterbrook (on The Ellen Show, no less!) and is planning on turning his newest book into a TV series, starring Sebastian Smythe (Kurt's first crush, who used to be a jerk but turned out to be actually decent in the end) and Elliot Gilbert (Kurt met him in college and never even had the tiniest crush on him, how is that possible?). Sebastian and Elliot are dating and are on a concert tour around the United States. Soon, this tour will take them to Ohio, yay!
> 
> Also, Kurt organised a successful runway show and now Nina Garcia wants to feature him in Marie-Claire magazine and he's been getting so many new orders that he has had to hire a seamstress (Marley) and a shop clerk (Chandler). Chandler's crush on Kurt is becoming a bit uncomfortable, so Kurt and Blaine are trying their hand at matchmaking. Only, one of the eligible bachelors Blaine rustles up turns out to be Kurt's high school bully, Dave Karofsky. Awkward... 
> 
> And that's what you missed on Glee!

# Chapter 161: Chandler Trying His Wings

“ _You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching,_  
Love like you'll never be hurt,  
Sing like there's nobody listening,  
And live like it's heaven on earth.”  
(William W. Purkey)

Blaine didn’t really like the thought of having Cooper around while he was still hung-over, but whatever Kurt wanted, he got, so that afternoon, the Anderson brothers had a tea party with Kurt and Mercedes and Sam.

Blaine grew more and more irritated with Cooper, who was pulling out all the stops to charm everyone. The infuriating thing was that it worked, too. Sam listened open-mouthed to Cooper’s tall tales and accepted the advice Cooper doled out to him as gospel, nodding eagerly. Mercedes couldn’t keep her eyes off Cooper, smiling hugely and hanging on his every word.

Kurt, too, preened whenever Cooper paid him a compliment and giggled – _giggled!_ – at Cooper’s jokes. He had to know, surely he had to know that Cooper was only trying to get into his good graces for the job opportunities that might bring? Cooper was really clear about that, too, dropping broad hints and grinning triumphantly when Kurt promised him a role in his upcoming TV series.

Blaine rolled his eyes and stuffed some more cake into his mouth to keep himself from making caustic remarks.

Kurt didn’t seem to mind Cooper’s blatant manipulation, though, and even seemed excited at the thought of working with Cooper.

_Oh, just you wait! Coop will be so obnoxious you’ll want to tear your hair out!_

When the time came for Kurt and Blaine to return to Ohio, Cooper, content now that he’d gotten what he wanted, suggested he could bring them to the airport, sucking up to Kurt some more. Blaine bit his tongue to keep from snapping at his brother.

Cooper gave both Kurt and Blaine a big hug and promised he’d be in touch.

_With Kurt, you will, no doubt, to remind him you are supposed to star in his TV series. With me? Hmm, not holding my breath for it…_

When they boarded the plane, Blaine was still in a vile mood. He didn’t want to talk. He just wanted to snuggle up to Kurt and get over his hangover in peace and quiet. He only became marginally more alert when Kurt brought up the Chandler problem and suggested they try and find him a boyfriend.

Blaine approved of that idea and mentally ran through the possibilities, suggesting a karaoke night.

When they arrived home, he called Jeff at once, and once his friend had heard the whole story, he was more than happy to help with the match-making they had in mind, summing up tons of single friends he planned on inviting.

“Don’t worry, Blainers. We’ll get him a guy of his own in no time, so he can stop crushing on yours.”

Blaine chuckled. “Here’s hoping.”

That Thursday night, dressed up in their finest, they walked to the karaoke bar, where they found Chandler already waiting for them, all hyped up. Thankfully, Jeff and Nick and their friends arrived soon after, and Jeff immediately glommed onto Chandler to play wingman for him, ushering him inside.

Blaine felt relieved that he wouldn’t be stuck with Chandler all evening, and hastened to get out of the cold himself, only to stop when he saw who was holding the door open for them. Dave! He hadn’t seen his friend in ages, and he was all smiles when he greeted Dave and introduced him to Kurt.

Dave’s grin faltered when he saw Kurt, though, and Kurt flat-out glared at Dave.

_What’s going on here? Do they know each other?_

Apparently, they did, and Kurt shocked Blaine to the core when he started ranting at him about Dave being a bully that nearly drove him to suicide.

_What? Dave? I’ve never seen him angry in my life! And he goes out of his way to help people… Surely, this must be a misunderstanding?_

Only, it wasn’t. And Blaine stood there with wide eyes and his mouth gaping open as Dave apologized to Kurt and told him he’d tried to take his own life because he couldn’t handle being gay.

_Wow. I never knew that. By the time we became friends, Dave was out and proud. I never had an inkling he struggled with his orientation. He always seemed so comfortable in his skin._

Clearly, it was news to Kurt, too. All the fight went out of him, and only concern and sympathy remained in his eyes.

Dave offered to leave, but Kurt urged him to stay, sounding quite genuine. Apparently, he’d seen a spark between Dave and Chandler and wanted to see where it was going.

They filed into the karaoke bar, each lost in their own thoughts, and Dave quietly excused himself to make a beeline for Jeff and Chandler.

Chandler, who was being introduced to all of Jeff’s single friends, seemed a bit overwhelmed, but he was grinning from ear to ear, and every compliment he got made him blush and giggle.

“I get the feeling he doesn’t go out much,” Blaine whispered to Kurt.

“He doesn’t,” Kurt confirmed. “He told me today that his mother had forbidden him to come to the karaoke night when he first told her about it. Apparently, she was scared he’d get date-raped or assaulted on the street on his way back home. So he had to promise her he wouldn’t drink any alcohol, he wouldn’t stay past midnight and he would take an Uber ride home, and text her the license plate of the Uber driver. It took him days to get her to agree to that.”

Blaine bit his lip. “Well, she’s got a point. This is Ohio, and there’s loads of people here who hate gays on sight. Still, he’s not a child anymore. She needs to let him live his life. She can’t keep sheltering him from everything. I can vouch for my friends, though. No date rapers among them, so no worries there. They’re gentlemen.”

Kurt smiled at him. “I know. And yes, she’s smothering him. I think it’s really good for him to work in my shop. He’s taken to it like a duck to water, and it’s done wonders for his confidence.”

Blaine made a face. “I don’t think he’s ever lacked confidence. He keeps hitting on you, though he knows full well that you have a boyfriend.”

Kurt kissed his pout away. “Aww, sweetie… Let’s hope he finds a man of his own tonight. And I wasn’t talking about that kind of confidence. I meant that this job was just what he needed to grow up a bit and become less dependent on his parents. His mother would have kept him under her wing for the rest of his life, and would have had him believe he wasn’t capable of a thing. Just to protect him, yes, from the big bad world, but that isn’t healthy. He needs to be able to make mistakes and fall and get up again. How else will he learn?”

Blaine smiled at Kurt. “Now who sounds like a mother hen?”

Kurt swatted at Blaine. “Don’t call me that!”

“Sing with me, then,” Blaine requested. “Chandler will be all right, no need to worry about him.”

They flipped through the song selection and signed up for two karaoke slots. They were way down on the list, though, so Blaine decided to introduce Kurt to the Warblers and college friends he hadn’t met yet.

Before long, Kurt and [Trent](https://78.media.tumblr.com/6e5b3a9c49cfc4c5931c341140a3b459/tumblr_p2rked9BDY1tkbapjo1_400.jpg) were chatting up a storm, getting on like a house on fire. Apparently, they had friends in common, seeing as Trent had attended Parsons too, though he’d been a year below Kurt. He’d also come to Kurt’s fashion show, escorting his mom, who was a friend of Adela’s, and he gushed about Naomi’s going-away dress. “I absolutely LOVED that bodice!”

Blaine, who couldn’t get a word in edgewise, wandered away from them to catch up with his other friends. He had to endure quite a bit of teasing from those who had seen him on The Ellen Show, but he happily told them all about it, smiling ear to ear.

Ryder sidled up to him to report that things with Juliet were going well. “She’s amazing, man! I’m so glad I came to talk to your class that day. How’s Florian doing?”

“He’s doing fine,” Blaine said. “Having you as a role model has really inspired him to do well in class. And his friends all help out where they can. And of course, his father taking more of an interest in him now does wonders too. He’s happier.”

“Oh, great,” said Ryder. “I know what it’s like to feel dumb and like you don’t fit in. That feeling is hard to shake. It’s good that he fits better into his skin now.”

They were discussing the match Ryder had played that Sunday when an unholy screech distracted them. It proved to be Chandler, singing. Everyone looked as though they wanted to clap their hands over their ears, except for Dave, who smiled serenely at Chandler, bopping his head to the beat.

Luckily, Chandler had eyes only for Dave as well, and didn’t notice the others’ grimaces. He threw his arms in the air for the finale and then beamed with pride when he got a smattering of polite applause.

Chandler seemed about to start singing another song, but thankfully, Thad started talking to him before he could assault everyone’s ears again. From the looks of it, Thad was offering singing tips. Blaine suppressed a chuckle at Chandler’s offended expression.

_Yep, no, Thad has blown his chances with Chandler now… And it’s sweet that he’s trying to improve Chandler’s singing, but I’m pretty sure it’s a hopeless case. Not even the best singing lessons in the world could help him… Not if he takes every form of criticism as an insult._

Dave stepped in before Chandler could get too worked up, and led him to the bar. Blaine nodded approvingly when Dave ordered two waters.

Dave hardly ever drank alcohol. He said he didn’t trust himself drunk. No-one minded. They’d all counted on him to bring them home safely at one time or another. And Blaine was sure it would make a good impression on Chandler that Dave wasn’t trying to ply him with alcohol nor drinking any himself.

Chandler was talking a mile a minute, gesturing and smiling up at Dave, who nodded every once in a while, and laughed when the story came to its end. He said something to Chandler that made the boy throw back his head and laugh, too, putting a hand on Dave’s arm.

“It’s going well, isn’t it?”

Startled, Blaine looked away from the flirting couple and into Kurt’s smiling eyes.

“It’s nearly our turn to sing,” Kurt said. He looked at Chandler and Dave, still deep in conversation and paying no attention to anyone else, and beamed. “Not a match I’d ever have thought of, but I’m so glad they’re getting along well.”

Blaine nodded. “Dave’s smitten already, I can tell.”

“I do hope Chandler won’t forget about his curfew. It’s half past eleven already.”

“I’m sure his mother will remind him,” Blaine reassured Kurt.

They each accepted a microphone for their duet, and bopped their way through _I Just Can’t Get Enough_.

Smiling hugely, they headed to the bar for a drink, quite close to Dave and Chandler so that they could spy some more.

Chandler was still talking the hind leg off a donkey, and Dave was nodding and smiling and throwing in a few words every now and then.

The shrill blaring of a phone startled everyone in the vicinity, and made Chandler shut up and rifle through his bag.

“Hey Mom! I’m having such a good time! Yes, yes, I know it’s close to midnight. I’ll say goodbye to everyone and come home, okay? Yes, I’ll text you the license plate of the driver. Yes, I’ll put my hat and my scarf on.Bye Mom!”

Chandler put his phone in his bag again and sighed.

“You need to get going?” Dave asked.

“Yes. It was really nice talking to you, Dave.”

“It was. We should do that again sometime. Can I have your number?”

Chandler flashed him a dazzling smile and put his telephone number in Dave’s phone.

“Hey, I can bring you home, if you like,” Dave offered. “I came by car.”

Chandler hesitated. “My mom wants me to send her a picture of the licence plate of the car I go home in.”

“That’s a good idea,” Dave said, and Chandler beamed at him again.

They said goodbye to everyone at the karaoke bar and then left, Chandler’s arm tucked into the crook of Dave’s elbow and his expression radiant.

“Well, here’s hoping Momma Kiehl will approve of Dave,” Kurt sighed.

“I think he’ll make the best impression if he escorts Chandler to the door and introduces himself to Chandler’s mom. I’ll text him and tell him to do that. And smile. A little charm goes a long way.”

“I’ll follow up the progress on Chandler’s side. You check in with Dave.”

Blaine saluted Kurt. “Aye, aye, sir.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “Come on, I think we’re up for our next duet!”

K&B

Blaine waited two days and then called Dave.

“Hey Blainers! What’s up?”

“Hey Dave. Just curious, I guess. How are things with Chandler?”

Dave chuckled. “Good, good. I brought him home that night, and met his mom, and I was totally polite and charming, like you told me to, but wow, she’s a hard nut to crack. I held out my hand to shake and she wouldn’t even shake it. She looked at me like I was something nasty she’d stepped in on the sidewalk. And then Chandler kissed my cheek and told me he’d call me, and it was like she’d start breathing fire any minute. She ushered him in as fast as she could and then slammed the door in my face. I take it he’s never had a boyfriend before?”

“No, he hasn’t,” Blaine confirmed.

“I thought so. No wonder, with a mother like that. But I’m not scared. I can deal with her. I’ll wear her down with my niceness.”

“You do that, man!”

“We’re going to the movies tonight,” Dave announced proudly. “I need to bring Chandler home straight after, but I don’t care.”

“Nice. What movie?”

“Don’t know. Whatever Chandler wants to see.”

Blaine chuckled. “Whipped already, I see how it is…”

“Whatever, man, I really don’t care. I just want to spend time with him.”

“I know, I’m the same with Kurt, I was just joking…. I’m happy for you, Dave. I really hope it works out for you this time.”

Dave sighed. “Yeah, me too. I don’t think he’s like Dean, though.”

“I’m pretty sure he’s not,” Blaine reassured Dave. “If you can win over his mom, you’re all set.”

“That will take a while,” Dave laughed. “She seems to hate everyone and everything that takes her baby boy away from her. Chandler told me she even disapproves of him having a job. Thinks it’s too taxing for him. But Chandler completely lights up when he’s talking about working at Kurt’s boutique. He seems to love it, and I can’t imagine Kurt being a bad boss.”

“He’s not,” Blaine agreed. “She’s just… overprotective, I guess.”

“Is that what they call helicopter parenting?”

“A prime example, yes. Worse than anything I’ve ever dealt with at school. But you hang in there, man. When she sees you make Chandler happy, she’ll come round.”

“Here’s hoping. I really like him.”

“He likes you too,” Blaine assured Dave. “Kurt says he’s talked of nothing else but you for days. And he’s already talked his mom into letting him go out with you again, hasn’t he? That’s a good sign.”

“I guess. Kurt still okay with this?”

“Why wouldn’t he?”

“Well…” Dave cleared his throat. “He doesn’t like me much. And I can’t blame him. I was rotten to him in high school.”

“Oh… No, don’t worry. Kurt is rooting for the both of you, I swear.”

There was static for a moment at the other end of the line. “Oh good. Well, I need to get back to my writing. I have this piece I need to finish today.”

“You do that, man,” Blaine said. “And don’t be a stranger, okay? Now that you have a boyfriend in these parts, I expect to hear from you more often.”

“All right. Can do. Laters, man!”

“Bye!”

K&B

When Blaine came home from school the next Monday, he found Kurt talking on the phone to someone. “Yes, yes, certainly. I’m sure we can make that work. I’ll contact my models straightaway. Yes, I’ll let you know. Thank you so much. Bye, Nina.”

Kurt put his phone on the coffee table and grinned at Blaine. “That was Nina Garcia. For the article in Marie Claire. She’s willing to come to Ohio for the shoot and the interview, and she’s okay with mid-March as the tentative date for it. So Seb will be in these parts anyway, for the concert tour, and we just have to get Sam here as well, and we’re all set.”

“Will Sebastian have the time for a photo shoot, do you think?” Blaine asked.

Kurt shrugged. “If he and Elliot expect us to come to all the Ohio concerts and sing with them, then he can make time to model for me. It’s just one tux, and he can leave right after. But you’re right, I’d better give him advance notice.”

Kurt dialed the number and held it to his ear. “Oh, and honey, before I forget, there was a big envelope for you in the post.”

“That will be the galleys for my new picture book,” said Blaine.

“Oh, great, can’t wait to read the story later! I can, can’t I?”

Blaine chuckled. “Of course, after I’ve proofread it.”

“And could you please go check on the food? I made stuffed peppers, and they’re in the oven. I think it beeped a few minutes ago while I was on the phone with Nina.”

“On it,” said Blaine, and he switched off the oven and took the stuffed peppers out. The smell wafting off them made his mouth water, and he hoped the phone call to Sebastian wouldn’t take too long.

Kurt tried calling Seb three times, but kept getting a busy signal, so they chose to eat first. After doing the dishes, Kurt emptied a big bag on the table – garments that Marley had sewn and embroidered for him, he explained. Most of it was parts of Adrienne’s wedding dress, a soft-looking night-blue fabric that was now completely covered in with galaxies upon galaxies of silver-thread stars. The effect was quite striking.

“Marley’s going to be happy when this dress is done,” Kurt chuckled. “I give her the occasional accessory to sew, too, just so she can switch it up a bit, but she’s been embroidering stars for WEEKS on end. I think I’ve got all the parts now, though, so now all I have to do is check the embroidery to makes sure the overall effect is pleasing, sew the pieces together and make a row of buttonholes and sew buttons at the other side. I thought about using star-shaped buttons, but those are too fiddly, so now I’m going with mother-of-pearl moon buttons.”

Blaine came to stand behind Kurt and hugged him, hooking his chin over Kurt’s shoulder. “I love it. I could totally see Queen Amidala wearing this.”

Kurt hummed as he threaded a needle. “I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you. Let’s hope Adrienne will like the real dress as much as she liked the sketch. She’s coming for a fitting tomorrow morning. If I have a headache when I get home, it’s because I got an overdose of talking. She’s worse than Rachel and Chandler combined.”

Blaine went to fetch the envelope with the galleys, and sat down at the other side of the table to start correcting them. When that was done, he concentrated on preparing his lessons until Kurt started rolling his neck, complaining that it was super stiff.

Blaine grinned and jumped up, wiggling his fingers. “These hands are magic. They’ll sort out your neck trouble in no time.”

As Blaine rounded the table, Kurt asked, “Do you have any idea where Seb and Elliot are singing tonight? It’s really weird that he hasn’t called me back yet. Or sent a text. He’s always so quick to get back to me, because he knows I worry.”

Blaine started kneading the tension out of Kurt’s neck and shoulders. “Let it go, sweetie. It will keep ‘till tomorrow. They’re probably practicing or meeting fans or performing. I think they’re in Maryland at the moment, or Delaware. Somewhere in those parts.”

Kurt exhaled slowly. “He’d better get back to me tomorrow, or I’ll call Elliot.”

“You do that. Let’s go to bed, love. I’m tired.”

Kurt yawned. “Me too. Oh… You’re done with your story, right? I want to read it before I go to sleep.”

“Want me to tell you the story?” Blaine asked.

Kurt’s face lit up and he hurried to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

A little later, Blaine sat with his back against the headboard, Kurt between his legs, and Blaine was telling the story while Kurt studied the pictures.

“ _Once upon a time, there was a city._

_Skyscraper City, it was called._

_In that city lived a boy._

_His name was Daniel._

_Daniel lived in one of the skyscrapers of Skyscraper city._

_He lived there only with his mother. Because his father was dead. And seeing as Daniel’s father was dead, Daniel’s mother had to do all the work. She had to work hard. Now that there was no father to provide an extra income, Daniel and his mother were poor._

_In a skyscraper, there’s room for about a hundred people._

_But the poorest people live all the way at the top._

_And because Daniel and his mother were the poorest of all, they lived at the top of the skyscraper with the hundred people. Above their heads, there was only the attic._

_But Daniel liked it like that._

_You see, while his mother was doing laundry and ironing for the other people in the skyscraper, he climbed up to the attic._

_ _

_There, he had plenty of room, all for him. Not that there was much in the attic. There was only a big empty trunk. And so it happened that sometimes, Daniel felt lonely, in the empty attic with the empty trunk._

_One day, his mother said, “Daniel, you need to go to school.”_

_Daniel didn’t know yet what a school was, but he went there happily enough. After all, Diana went to school too. Diana was the richest girl in the whole city._

_Her father was so rich that he owned an entire skyscraper, right opposite of the one where Daniel lived, with the hundred people._

_But Diana’s father was dead, too. She lived all alone in the empty skyscraper, with an old governess to keep her company. Daniel had seen Diana quite often from high up in his skyscraper._

_When he looked outside, he saw her sometimes in front of one of the hundred windows of her skyscraper._

_He liked her. Her hair was as black as his was blond, and they were the same height. And her eyes were just as blue as his._

_When Daniel entered the school, the teacher said, “Daniel, you go and sit with Diana.”_

_And that’s how the poorest boy in Skyscraper City came to sit next to the richest girl in the city._

_Daniel loved sitting next to Diana._

_And yet, he was so shy that he didn’t dare speak to her. Then, the drawing lesson started._

_The teacher told all the children to draw a landscape._

_Daniel got started. All he had was a pencil. He drew trees, birds, a house._

_Diana got started too. First, she opened a beautiful paint box. Daniel had never seen something so lovely._

_Then, she used her brush to paint trees, birds and a house. Green, yellow and red. And she painted the sky above in the brightest blue._

_That was when Daniel spoke for the first time. “Oh, that is stunning!” he said. And he looked on in amazement at the beautiful colours Diana made appear._

_Then he look back at his own drawing, in black pencil. He thought it looked ugly. It made him sad._

_Diana could tell._

_“You can take my paint box home with you, after school,” she said to Daniel._

_And so it happened that Daniel took Diana’s paint box home._

_Daniel’s mother’s eyes went wide when he arrived home._

_“What’s that you have there, Daniel?” she asked, amazed._

_Daniel showed her Diana’s paint box. “Diana lent it to me,” he said._

_Then he climbed up to the attic with a large piece of paper, because he wanted nothing more than to make a painting._

_The trees, he painted in green. Gorgeous green. The houses, he painted in red. Beautiful red. The birds, he painted in yellow. Lovely yellow._

_But when he wanted to paint the sky above in the brightest blue, he saw with fright that the blue paint from the beautiful paint box was gone. He must have lost the block of blue paint on the way home from school. That made him very sad._

_He would never dare give the paint box back to Diana without the blue. So he ran onto the street to go look for the lost blue paint._

_He walked from home to school and then back from school to home, but wherever he searched, the block of blue paint had vanished. He was at the end of his wits and tears rolled down his cheeks. What was he supposed to do now?_

_Then, he got an idea. Maybe he could make a block of blue paint himself. He walked and walked until he arrived at the city park. There grew blue flowers with blue heads. He carefully picked the blue flower heads._

_Once he was back in the attic, he crushed the blue flower heads in the space where the lost block of paint had been._

_Now, he had new blue paint._

_And Diana would never notice that he had lost her block of fabulous blue paint. That night, he fell asleep happy. He had so much blue paint that he kept some for himself. He put it on a saucer and hid it in the empty trunk, with a paintbrush._

_The next day, he gave the paint box back to Diana. Again, the teacher told them to draw a landscape. Daniel drew with his pencil: black trees, black birds and a black house._

_Diana painted with her paintbrush: green trees, yellow birds and a red house._

_Then, she dipped her brush into the blue and painted the blue sky._

_That’s when Diana, to her surprise, noticed that the sky seemed alive. Clouds that she hadn’t painted were drifting through it._

_“Oh, Daniel,” she said quietly, “look at the sky. It’s alive!”_

_Daniel saw it._

_“That’s no ordinary blue,” he said. “That’s the real sky blue. In real sky blue, you can see everything you want to see. You can see the clouds that you would love to have painted in it.”_

_Since then, they often painted together, and together, they used the paintbox. They painted on the sidewalk of Daniel’s skyscraper, where a hundred people lived. Or on the sidewalk of Diana’s skyscraper, where only she and her old governess lived._

_And every time they used the sky blue, they saw what they wanted to see._

_They saw the strangest birds in the sky. And the weirdest clouds._

_And one time, Diana said, “Do you know what I see in the blue sky, Daniel? I see you wearing a gold crown. And I see me with a gold crown.”_

_But actually, she didn’t need to tell that to Daniel. Because Daniel saw it too. He saw Diana wearing a gold crown and himself with a gold crown too._

_One day, something odd happened._

_When Daniel came home that afternoon, his mother was gone._

_But his neighbour was waiting for him at the door, and she said, “Daniel, your mother inherited a nice little house in a beautiful small village, in Low Roof Country. She won’t have to work anymore now. In a few days, the movers will come and fetch all your furniture and bring you to the village. Until then, you can sleep in my house, Daniel.”_

_First, Daniel was happy with the good news. But then he became sad._

_He knew that he would never see Diana again now. And that they would never be able to paint together again. Daniel understood that he had lost the sky blue. Heartbroken, he crept to the attic, hid in the big empty trunk and closed the lid over his head._

_Then, in the dark, he suddenly felt the saucer with the sky blue paint and the paintbrush from Diana’s paintbox. And seeing as he felt sad, he started to paint the inside of the lid with the sky blue._

_And look, all of a sudden, it was a bright summer day in the trunk, and in the blue sky, clouds drifted above Daniel’s head._

_Beautiful birds soared through the sky blue._

_And when he peered up intently, he saw Diana wearing a gold crown on her head. And he saw himself next to her, also with a gold crown._

_He didn’t notice sleeping a long, long time, and he didn’t notice the movers coming and taking all the furniture out of the house and also the big trunk from the attic._

_When he woke up, Daniel felt himself sway in the trunk. He didn’t understand._

_Wasn’t he lying in his trunk in the attic?_

_Cautiously, he opened the lid of the trunk a tiny sliver. He saw the backs of two dark men and he saw the trunk standing on a cart pulled by two horses._

_Daniel was scared._

_Where are they bringing me? he thought. I have to escape. And then he suddenly realised that all his sky blue paint was gone. The only sky blue he still had, was on the back of the lid. That’s why Daniel decided to take the lid with him on his escape._

_Carefully, he took the lid off the trunk._

_When Daniel jumped off the cart, holding the trunk lid under his arm, he saw that the road ran along a river._

_But he also saw that the dark men had heard him and quickly stopped the horses._

_“Hold the thief!” they yelled, and then they jumped off the cart and chased him. As fast as he could, Daniel ran to the river. When the men had almost caught up with him, he quickly threw the lid into the stream and jumped onto it. Now, he was standing on the sky blue trunk lid and drifting away on the water._

_The men shook their fists at him. But suddenly, their faces looked flabbergasted._

_You see, the white clouds mirrored in the sky blue river also mirrored on the sky blue lid, and the men did not see the trunk lid._

_They just saw Daniel walking on the water._

_For hours and hours, Daniel drifted on his sky blue trunk lid._

_And that’s how he finally arrived in a country where it never rained, where the sun always shone and the sky was always bright blue. It was called Low Roof Country. That day, however, a shadow hung over the country. Its king had just died, and nobody knew where to find a new and worthy king._

_That’s why the people were standing around aimlessly and sadly along the river._

_Daniel’s mother, too, was looking at the river sadly, for the movers still hadn’t arrived with Daniel._

_And now she had a beautiful little house in Low Roof Country. She’d named it ‘Daniel’, after Daniel._

_“Look, look!” an old man at the riverside yelled. “Someone’s walking towards us on the water.”_

_Everybody looked._

_It was true. Nobody saw the sky blue trunk lid Daniel was standing on, which mirrored the clouds in the sky, like the river did._

_“But this is a sign from heaven!” an old woman shouted. “This must be our new king.”_

_“That is Daniel!” his mother cried, when she saw Daniel approaching over the water. “He’s walking on the water!”_

_And when Daniel jumped onto the shore, no-one saw the sky blue trunk lid drifting along quickly on the stream._

_Everybody shouted, “Long live King Daniel! Long live the king of Low Roof Country!”_

_Yes, Daniel was quite willing to become the king of Low Roof Country. But only if Diana became the queen of Low Roof Country._

_And so they went and fetched Diana from Skyscraper City. And she took along her old governess._

_When they arrived in the new country, the governess dressed her as a true queen._

_And Daniel’s mother dressed him as a true king._

_After that a golden carriage pulled up to their door, pulled by the archers of the country, and the whole population cheered for the new king and queen. For everything they did was so sunny and cheerful that the people said about them, “We’re so happy with such a king and queen. They see everything in sky blue.”_

_I heard this story in a tiny tavern, told by a teeny tiny man. I’ve never seen a smaller man._

_It’s so long ago that I don’t remember what country the tavern was in. In Skyscraper city or Low Roof Country? One thing I know for certain. He called the story: the Sky Blue._

_And that’s what it’s about._

_Always.”_

Kurt sighed happily. “That was lovely. You should tell me a bedtime story more often. It’s so nice and relaxing.”

Blaine chuckled as he put the galleys and his glasses on his bedside table and turned the lights off. “Usually, we do other stuff that helps you sleep.”

“True. Want to be big spoon or little?”

“Big. Sweet dreams, love.”

“Sweet dreams. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story Blaine tells Kurt at the end of this chapter is a translation I made of the Dutch children's tale "Het hemelsblauw", written by Bertus Aafjes and illustrated by Annelies Vossen.

**Author's Note:**

> So ... What do you think? Your remarks, suggestions and constructive criticism are more than welcome!


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